Speaker Pelosi says don't dignify Donald with a presidential debate

[bigtree]

Erica Werner @ericawerner 16m
Pelosi says she doesn’t think there should be any presidential debates. “I wouldn’t legitimize a conversation with him, nor a debate” she says of Trump

Link to tweet

[bearsfootball516]

1. I see her point. Not sure if I agree or disagree, but I get it.

Everyone knows what Trump and Biden stand for. All debates would do is give Trump a 2 hour national audience in prime time to slander Biden and turn things into a circus.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Interesting move

Trump will reflexively respond "I didn't want to debate first"

[SoonerPride]

3. Just as long as Biden isn't the one to back out

Can’t look like we fear trump.

He’s the scared little shit looking for excuses to back out

Let him

[bigtree]

40. I wouldn't label it as fear

...Joe Biden doesn't need the debates, Trump does.

Link to tweet

[Cha]

42. Absolutely! Why participate in trump's Lying tragic Farce?

[ehrnst]

48. As if anyone who supports Trump will consider Biden anything but a wimp.

There comes a time when you stop giving in to toddlers, and realize that they won't behave or comprehend as adults.

[Ferrets are Cool]

4. I've been saying this for months

For Speaker Pelosi

[ooky]

21. Me too. All Trump is going to do is lie his ass off.

I see no point in sitting for that.

Instead of engaging with a pig, I think we should hold a series of virtual town halls instead.

[Ferrets are Cool]

35. YES!!

[TheBlackAdder]

36. THIS! 👍 How do you debate a pathological liar? You can't!

[uponit7771]

37. +1, Biden will have to show videos of Trump lying constantly during the debates

[malaise]

5. Truthfully I think Biden should decline given the Con and his goons'

violations of CDC guidelines. i would not put it past them to try and infect Joe Biden or Kamala Harris.

[PSPS]

6. Conan gets it

"People are calling for the presidential debates to be canceled, but if that happens, how will I decide who to vote for?"

- Conan O'Brien

[Cha]

43. No he doesn't.. Nancy Pelosi gets it.

[RockCreek]

7. Still waiting for those tax returns; don't consider a debate without tax returns n/t

[empedocles]

16. Good point

[dalton99a]

8. Waste of time. The cult doesn't care about fact or reason or decency.

They will always vote for the shit-flinging orangutan

[RockCreek]

9. Pelosi owns Trump

Biden needs to acknowledge that to himself, and follow her advice on this.

[Squinch]

10. I totally agree. It won't move the needle at all, and it will just be a chance for him to lie more.

[kysrsoze]

11. Who TF are we kidding? Dump and his minions would have a field day if Biden backed out.

They'd be calling Biden a coward or drug addict who's afraid to get tested. Has everyone forgotten what a complete asshole Biden is running against? You don't run from a bully - you confront the bully.

[0rganism]

14. i agree - Biden should take at least one debate to confront Trump directly

and he should probably wear a KN95 mask while he does so

[Eyeball_Kid]

19. Pelosi is trapping Trump into walking into an ambush. Don't worry.

Pelosi understands paradoxical messaging. She's not always right, but she's right this time.

[USALiberal]

38. +1000, we skip debates and Trump insults Joe for weeks! nt

[empedocles]

12. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Indykatie]

13. Pelosi Rarely Makes Bad Political Moves But I think This Is Definitely a Bad One

Why give Trump a talking point about Biden being afraid to debate? I don't think Trump wants to debate anyway but we should force him to back out not Biden.

[MoMof6]

20. I agree 100%

We cannot give the impression that Biden is afraid to debate.

Whether we like it or not there is a growing perception among voters that Biden has dementia issues. Our nominee must fight this head on, and the best way is to have a free debate against Trump.

If Joe hits it out of the park he will win the Presidency. If he stumbles in any way he is finished. E

[Hekate]

58. It does not matter what Biden does, nothing will appease Trumpists. That segment of Americans...

...is a lost cause, cultists, and unreachable.

Trump doesn’t want a debate— he wants a show. He knows how to put on shows. He’s already saying that he and Biden should do a drug test before their debate.

[BootinUp]

23. She doesn't speak for Biden. All this does

Is get people talking about what a waste of time it is to engage with the Orange liar. Point to Pelosi.

[JI7]

26. That's what I took from it. It's more a comment about Trump

and not really advice to Biden.

[ehrnst]

51. Doesn't have to be Biden turning it down. There are ways of making Trump skittish about showing up.

Making it a town hall, for instance.

You don't play chess with a pigeon...

[Eyeball_Kid]

15. Think "paradoxical framing."

Pelosi is baiting Trump. He will reflexively oppose Pelosi and demand that debates be held.

Pelosi is sealing the deal by delivering a paradoxical statement to Trump. She is locking Trump into debating Biden.

Trump cannot NOW back out because he will have done what Pelosi predicted. He MUST oppose Pelosi.

But Trump won't understand the game, and he'll react and demand that Biden encounter him. He's, of course, on a fool's mission. Biden is waiting to pounce.

[bigtree]

17. not unlikely

...but I do agree this locks him in, somewhat.

[In It to Win It]

18. I agree! Trump doesn't debate

[BeyondGeography]

22. What a pointless and not very smart thing to say

There’s nothing to be afraid of in debating Trump, unless you say you won’t debate him, in which case the overriding question becomes, What are you afraid of?

[Cha]

46. It's Not "pointless".. Nancy has pointed out what

trump is. "jerking his chain". Nancy is "smart".

And, so is Joe Biden..

Link to tweet

[BeyondGeography]

50. If anything

It feeds into the Republican narrative that Biden is hiding and wants to run out the clock. She does have the ability to hit the mark re. Trump. This was an airball.

[Cha]

52. No it doesn't. Nancy is giving her opinion of what whe

thinks of trump.

The fucking maggats lie their damn heads off.. like trump wanted a "drug test bc he's accused Biden of being on Drugs against his debate with Sanders. "Because he did so WELL".

[Chuuku Davis]

24. Seems like a bad PR move to me

Do voters want a debate?

[MichMan]

25. Public expects debates from presidential candidates

Don't recall ever in my lifetime when there weren't any and I was born when Ike was president

[Blue_true]

55. I agree. I hope that Biden doesn't listen to Speaker Pelosi on this issue.

Hillary’s problem in 2016 is that she didn’t actively confront Trump on stage when Trump pulled his antics. Some people like to say “don’t wrestle with a pig”, NO!!!, some times you not only have to wrestle with a pig, but also punch it in the nose. When Trump was walking around behind Hillary, she should have said the the audience “excuse me”, then turn to Trump and say “Go sit back on your seat, it is my turn to give my policies”, then she should have pointed to his seat. For Biden, when Trump starts his antics during a debate, Joe must stop talking and humiliate Trump on the spot, show Trump up as being a weak attempted bully.

[LiberalFighter]

27. If Trump were to stalk Biden while he spoke...

What would be the feeling of people if Biden cold-cocked Trump?

[Blue_true]

56. Hillary made a mistake in not confronting him immediately.

If he does that to Biden, Joe must humiliate him on the spot.

[kentuck]

28. Perhaps a bit of reverse psychology?

She knows Trump does not want to debate.

By saying Biden should not legitimize him with a debate, the chances are that he will come out and demand a debate, even though he doesn't want one.

Please Brer Fox, don't throw me in that briar patch..

[tblue37]

29. GOP would claim it's because he is senile. I'd rather see him mop the floor with Trump,

as he did with Paul Ryan.

[EndlessWire]

31. That last real debate

I enjoy SNL and their versions of the 2016 presidential debates. That's how I ran into this YouTube presentation of that third debate between Hillary and Donald. This is the "Nasty Woman" debate.

If you long for another presidential debate between rocks-for-brains Donald and some normal human being, just substitute this debate in its place, and be happy. I vote for no debate as well.

We coulda had Hillary. She wasn't perfect, but sh*t, Donald??? What were they thinking?

[irisblue]

32. Pelosi, IMO, is jerking the apricothellbeasts chain.

[Stinky The Clown]

33. Of course she is!

[bluestarone]

34. I see her point here BUT

I also could see RUMP holding a debate with an empty chair too. That would be bad i think!

[aka-chmeee]

39. Maybe only if there is a giant

BULLSHIT beacon and Loud gong triggered every time he lies.

[JanMichael]

44. If only! nt

[StarfishSaver]

41. I think she's effing with him

I suspect she knows he doesn't want to debate and he's going to try to get out of them. She's egging him on, goading him into debating.

[Wanderlust988]

45. Biden should do only the town hall format

That's where he excels. But now with the pandemic, will they even have a town hall format?

I think 3 debates are too much. One debate is sufficient.

[ehrnst]

47. Never play chess with a pigeon...

“Never play chess with a pigeon.

The pigeon just knocks all the pieces over.

Then shits all over the board.

Then struts around like it won.”

[lpbk2713]

49. Agreed

We have already heard enough of his bullshit.

[Xolodno]

53. Telling Trump he's not worth debating...will make him want to debate. Particularly by Pelosi.

He already lost on the gambit to have more debates. Now he throws in the drug test to have Biden decline and not submit to such a sleazy demand. With Trump, its a shit load of debates (like Suzanne Collins wanting to debate in every county in Maine) or none at all so he can throw whatever shit he can against the wall and hope it sticks.

[panader0]

54. I agree.

[Hekate]

57. I think she's right

[dickthegrouch]

59. Put the whole debate under oath

Make him hold a bible for the second time in his life, put a federal cop in the auditorium and arrest him at the first lie.