Romney/Ryan are going to bail on the debates.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. I agree that dread is the color they will wear to debate Obama and Biden but they must debate

That whole final paragraph is just not how things would work.
If Mitt was not a trailing, unlikable snit of a man, perhaps he could cast himself as 'put upon' but America agrees that his taxes and his business record are on the table. He's Richy Rich, and he's far from put upon. Won't play.
And for perspective, re American Idol, I wonder if you are aware that just once in it's history Idol got more viewers than Obama's speech at the DNC? Idol is just a popular TV show, we've had such shows since TV began, it is not new that entertainments are popular. Most Americans, dig this, most Americans have never seen an episode of American Idol. You watch it, many do, most don't. But somehow, you think the entire nation is controlled using a show a tiny portion of the population watches, for entertainment. It is offensively arrogant to claim that people who seek out an entertainment, or sports are mindless and incapable of understanding 'fun' vs 'politics'. I mean, do you never, ever watch something for fun? Ever? No sports, no HBO, no Shakespeare, no nothing? Or is it that YOU can handle it, but others are just stupid? How does it work...
I mean, for example, what do you do with the 300+ million Americans who are not watching Idol? How do you get them to go along with your scenario? Who and what covers that vast majority of American minds?