# 2020 POTUS Debates 2 & 3 (Oct 15 & 22)- Go ahead or cancel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 7, 2020, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415 "2020-10-07T13:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MN\_Maenad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@MN\_Maenad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MN_Maenad)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/21 "2020-10-08T13:05:06Z")
Just chatting with the spouse, I said they should go ahead with the debate, just have Biden answer questions with a blank screen on the other side. DH’s response? “No, not a blank screen, an empty chair”. Bonus points if it can be the same style of chair Clint Eastwood was ranting at in 2012! edit: typo ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/22 "2020-10-08T13:14:27Z")
I would love to hear Biden answer the moderator’s questions without constant interruption. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/23 "2020-10-08T13:22:18Z")
Backing out of presidential debates has a long history - Jimmy Carter refused to show up for a debate because John Anderson (the third party candidate) was going to be part of the debate, and that decision worked out great for Carter. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/24 "2020-10-08T13:28:58Z")
Yeah - a one-person “debate” would be wonderful free exposure for Biden. I see no reason why the networks would be required to afford Trump equal time to respond, if he passed on the invite to participate. I assume Fox would run whatever Trump asked for, but I’d HOPE the legitimate news outlets would stand firm. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/25 "2020-10-08T13:32:58Z")
Read somewhere the constant interruptions by Trump was a strategy they thought would cause Biden to stutter. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/26 "2020-10-08T13:34:32Z")
Like Trump wouldn’t constantly interrupt anyways? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/27 "2020-10-08T13:39:24Z")
> **[Next Trump-Biden debates uncertain, though Oct. 22 is likely](https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-joe-biden-donald-trump-archive-47938faf487760963c96fffb41d7458c)** > > WASHINGTON (AP) — The campaign's final debates between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden were thrown into uncertainty Thursday as the rival camps offered dueling proposals for the remaining faceoffs that have been upended by the... ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/28 "2020-10-08T13:44:41Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Read somewhere the constant interruptions by Trump was a strategy they thought would cause Biden to stutter. As I read somewhere, Chris Christie was the proponent of this strategy. His reasoning was that people who stutter have difficulty when their train of thought gets derailed. By interrupting constantly, the effect was to throw Biden enough to where he couldn’t remember what the question was and that would reinforce the “Biden is senile” idea. So Donnie two scoops is chickening out. Good. The less we see of his sorry face the better. He now calls his covid experience a blessing from God. No, dipshit. A blessing from God would have been if you had died. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/29 "2020-10-08T13:46:03Z")
Biden did an NBC News Town Hall hosted by Lester Holt at the top of the week that registered 7 Million viewers. It was well praised online too with even people like Ben Shapiro saying Biden does well in those 1 to 1 interactions with voters. He should go ahead and do his own town hall that is carried across the stations on that night and let Trump do whatever the hell he wants to do on Fox News. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/30 "2020-10-08T13:49:28Z")
> [@Boycott](#): > > He should go ahead and do his own town hall that is carried across the stations on that night and let Trump do whatever the hell he wants to do on Fox News.- YES! 👍🏼 ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/31 "2020-10-08T14:05:31Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > As I read somewhere, Chris Christie was the proponent of this strategy. His reasoning was that people who stutter have difficulty when their train of thought gets derailed. By interrupting constantly, the effect was to throw Biden enough to where he couldn’t remember what the question was and that would reinforce the “Biden is senile” idea. If that is true, than Christie is somehow an even bigger piece of human garbage than I previously thought. If Christie has an interview with a non-Fox outlet in the next couple of days, I would love for an interviewer to broach this. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/32 "2020-10-08T14:11:10Z")
[Snopes says it is unproven.](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/chris-christie-biden-stutter/) So we don’t know for sure, but it sure fits in character for the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/33 "2020-10-08T15:03:15Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > So Donnie two scoops is chickening out. Good. The less we see of his sorry face the better. He now calls his covid experience a blessing from God. No, dipshit. A blessing from God would have been if you had died. No, that would leave the Whitebread Sepulcher, who might be able to re-gain the “traditional Republican but disgusted with Tweetolini” vote. A blessing from God would be if he’d gotten long-term laryngitis. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/34 "2020-10-08T15:08:29Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Read somewhere the constant interruptions by Trump was a strategy they thought would cause Biden to stutter. This showed up on my FB feed. When I challenged it, the person said she saw it on Fox, but that it disappeared. I’m thinking it may be bullshit, but I’d put nothing past that bunch. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/35 "2020-10-08T16:26:58Z")
Note that Kennedy and Nixon had a virtual debate (Nixon in LA, Kennedy in NYC) ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/36 "2020-10-08T16:43:16Z")
I’m not so sure it would be to Biden’s advantage to debate an empty chair. The moderator could hammer him on things like his not addressing the issue of court packing, anything vaguely related to Hunter Biden and Ukraine, etc. Trump wouldn’t be there to interrupt / prevent Biden from saying something stupid. Better to just not have the debates at all. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/37 "2020-10-08T16:46:23Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > The Commission on Presidential Debates announced this morning that it would be switching the October 15 debate to a virtual one. 30 minutes later, Trump announced he wouldn’t be participating. He also announced plans to hold a rally instead. He is bound and determined to spread Trumpis-19 to as many people as possible, isn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/38 "2020-10-08T17:13:17Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > I’m not so sure it would be to Biden’s advantage to debate an empty chair. The moderator could hammer him on things like … What makes you think these gutless moderators could hammer a freaking nail? There’s countless ways to get around it: “Excuse me, are you assuming the role of a ubiased moderator, or are you advocating for my opponents. ust let me know so I know how to respond.” “It is unfortunate that my opponent chose not to appear.” Bottomline, Biden would have 90 minutes of national media to talk unopposed, and take unopposed jabs at his opponent. So long as he doesn’t throw-up on himself, it’s a no-lose situation. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/39 "2020-10-08T17:21:37Z")
So Biden gets what’s essentially a free 90 minute informercial on all the major networks during primetime? Sounds like a good deal to me. Also, Biden should absolutely HAMMER Trump for this - play up the wussiness angle, say that he’s too cowardly to debate him, that the main reason he didn’t show up was because he knew he was going to get his ass handed to him. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415/40 "2020-10-08T18:11:55Z")
And severe carpal tunnel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debates-2-3-oct-15-22-go-ahead-or-cancel/922415.md?page=3)