{"id":59263,"date":"2023-12-09T14:15:36","date_gmt":"2023-12-09T22:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=59263"},"modified":"2023-12-09T14:21:20","modified_gmt":"2023-12-09T22:21:20","slug":"upcoming-republican-primary-debates-may-have-only-two-candidates-but-still-no-cowardly-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=59263","title":{"rendered":"Upcoming Republican Primary Debates May Have Only Two Candidates – But Still No Cowardly Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"

The race for the Republican Party’s nomination for President in 2024 has been a laughably lame affair that appears to be modeled after a third rate reality TV show. It’s “Apprentice – White House”<\/em> without the boorish board room finale where the playacting potentate pretends to fire one of the contemptible contestants.<\/p>\n

Click here to Tweet this article<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Donald<\/p>\n

From the start of election season the Republican National Committee (RNC) assumed dictatorial control of the production of these debates with a series of decrees that sought to establish their supreme authority over the process and the candidates. For instance, they prohibited all candidates<\/a><\/strong> from participating in any debate not sanctioned by the RNC. They also demanded that all candidates sign a pledge to support whoever the eventual GOP nominee was. As if Trump would keep such a promise.<\/p>\n

SEE THIS: RNC Chair Thinks Trump Would Honor a Pledge to Support the GOP Nominee if it Isn\u2019t Him<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Apparently the RNC is softening their stance. They are now saying that they will waive their demands to boycott non-RNC sponsored debates. Perhaps that’s because the debates they have produced so far have been fiascos that featured infantile tantrums while avoiding any matter of interest to voters. They have also resulted in sequentially lower ratings for each broadcast. Consequently, CNN has just announced<\/a><\/strong> that they will sponsor two debates prior to the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.<\/p>\n

CNN’s announcement said that “The events will provide Republican voters an opportunity to hear the governing philosophies of the leading candidates.”<\/em> But that seems like a lofty goal that they are unlikely to achieve. After all, the previous debates were hardly forums for learning about the candidates “governing philosophies.”<\/em> And that isn’t likely to improve considering the conditions they have set for participation…<\/p>\n

“To qualify for participation in the Iowa debate, candidates must receive at least 10% in three separate national and\/or [Iowa\/New Hampshire] state polls.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By that criteria, the only candidates, other than Donald Trump, who currently qualify for the Iowa debate<\/a><\/strong> are Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. And the only non-Trump candidates who currently qualify for the New Hampshire debate<\/a><\/strong> are Nikki Haley and Chris Christie. There is still time for others to meet the criteria prior to the debates, but there are no guarantees that they will succeed.<\/p>\n

Should the debates wind up being the head-to-head matchups noted above, they might actually be more interesting. And the absence of the “obnoxious blowhard<\/a>,”<\/em><\/strong> Vivek Ramaswamy, would be a welcome relief.<\/p>\n

For his part, Trump has declined to participate in any of the four debates already held. And given his increasingly severe psychological slippage, that’s probably a wise decision on the part of his handlers. These days Trump spends most of his time posting either hostile attacks on his perceived enemies, or cultish adoration of himself on his failing Truth Social scam<\/a><\/strong>. And his conspicuous cowardice, along with his mental maladies, keep him from sharing the debate stage with his primary challengers, which would only embarrass him and his party further.<\/p>\n

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Donald, everyone knows you\u2019re weaker, unsteady and confused all the time now. You even know it too. That\u2019s why you\u2019re constantly talking about how you \u201caced\u201d your cognitive testing. When you have to tell people you aren't senile all the time, you're senile. #TrumpIsNotWell<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/RHeyVrbo2B<\/a><\/p>\n

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) December 4, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n