# Trump to skip debate **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 27, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323 "2016-01-27T00:36:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/81 "2016-01-27T17:56:38Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > There is, secreted somewhere beneath the splotched linen of your trundle bed, a cardboard box containing one dog-eared copy of _The America We Deserve_ covered with bubblegum-scented kiss prints; a blond-haired male mannequin head aside a tortoiseshell comb and an aerosol can of Aqua Net; and a padlocked diary with page after page of the signature “Mrs. Qin Shi Trump” adorned with heart-shaped stickers and metallic glitter. How much do the Koch Brothers and Adelson pay you? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/82 "2016-01-27T17:59:07Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > How much do the Koch Brothers and Adelson pay you? Pretty lame to get a shot in when he just got a warning for that post. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/83 "2016-01-27T17:59:39Z")
Reported Qin ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/84 "2016-01-27T18:12:29Z")
Smart move. Why should he put any trust in Fox’s agenda? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/85 "2016-01-27T18:22:52Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Ok, then same question. Why do you think it started out as a publicity stunt? > > If he were actually elected, it would be the largest ego boost imaginable. No way in hell he’d resign. This. I can imagine that when he started out, he didn’t necessarily expect to be leading in January. But my wife is one who does not believe he really wants to be president, and I just don’t see that at all. If he is too lazy to work it Clinton or Obama style, he can delegate and work bankers hours like Reagan did. Isn’t that more or less what he has telegraphed with his “I’ll get great people” talk? > [@Folacin](#): > > Can I ask for a cite that Trump has ever thought about his responses? The 9/11 NYC thing against Cruz. ETA: What is “a work” in this sense? A scam? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/86 "2016-01-27T18:23:40Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Before you attribute cowardice to Trump, you’ll have to determine why it would be a strategic advantage for Trump to participate. Sometimes the smarter move is to not respond or to control your own narrative. Being able to pick your battles at a time of your choosing is desireable, no? I don’t think “cowardice” is the right word or what the previous poster was getting at. It’s more Trump’s thin-skinned sensitivity and vindictiveness. I’d say that before you attribute his refusal to participate to any kind of strategic brilliance, you have to acknowledge his history of vindictiveness against any and all perceived enemies, like his threats against NBC, Fox, Univision, and his propensity to sue anyone at the drop of a hat. His expectation was that Megyn Kelly would at the very least be banned for life from ever moderating a debate again, if not fired outright, because that’s how Trump treats his enemies and how the World According to Trump must work. That Fox actually defended her and put her on the debate panel again was more than Trump’s enormous ego could possibly tolerate. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/87 "2016-01-27T18:28:51Z")
Trump is the frontrunner because he is the apotheosis of the Republican philosophy; skipping a debate appearance is just one step further along the path of glorifying ignorance that they’ve been on. Voters don’t need to be informed! He’s basically a human _reductio ad absurdum_ that refutes Republican political practices of the last … what, thirty years? Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/88 "2016-01-27T18:31:28Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I don’t think “cowardice” is the right word or what the previous poster was getting at. Maybe you should read a little more carefully. Fenris described Trump as a sissy wimp, chickenshit who runs away. Do you seriously think “cowardice” is not the right word for what he was getting at? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/89 "2016-01-27T18:35:53Z")
I’ve had (muted) CNN on all morning, hoping to catch a little Oregon news, but it is literally NON STOP TRUMP (except for the pencil thin scrawl). ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/90 "2016-01-27T18:40:27Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > ETA: What is “a work” in this sense? A scam? It’s a carny term for working the crowd. Anything planned and scripted but made to appear spontaneous to fool the rubes. The opposite of a “shoot”. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/91 "2016-01-27T18:44:08Z")
So the latter is an improvised scam? ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/92 "2016-01-27T18:44:34Z")
During the debate, he’ll tweet he’s dropping out, leading to a complete cut away from the debate and back to HQ to freak out about. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/93 "2016-01-27T18:49:02Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > So the latter is an improvised scam? No, a “shoot” is short for a “straight shoot”. It would mean that everything Trump is saying is genuine. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/94 "2016-01-27T18:51:32Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I don’t think “cowardice” is the right word or what the previous poster was getting at. It’s more Trump’s thin-skinned sensitivity and vindictiveness. I’d say that before you attribute his refusal to participate to any kind of strategic brilliance, you have to acknowledge his history of vindictiveness against any and all perceived enemies, like his threats against NBC, Fox, Univision, and his propensity to sue anyone at the drop of a hat. I’m having trouble understanding this. Are you saying his refusal to participate in the debate is due to thin skinned sensitivity and/or vindictiveness more than it is a calculated move? > [@](#): > > His expectation was that Megyn Kelly would at the very least be banned for life from ever moderating a debate again, if not fired outright, because that’s how Trump treats his enemies and how the World According to Trump must work. That Fox actually defended her and put her on the debate panel again was more than Trump’s enormous ego could possibly tolerate. This is poorly crafted fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/95 "2016-01-27T18:51:33Z")
Ahhh…ok, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/96 "2016-01-27T18:57:33Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Maybe you should read a little more carefully. Fenris described Trump as a sissy wimp, chickenshit who runs away. Do you seriously think “cowardice” is not the right word for what he was getting at? I know how to read, thanks. I don’t think all of the previous poster’s comments were well expressed but I’m not interested in the cat fight you’re having with him, I’m interested in making an observation about Trump. What **I’m** getting at is that one of Trump’s most notable characteristics is a complete inability to take any criticism whatsoever, and to lash out viciously at anyone who does criticize him or asks a question that shows him up in a bad light. “Thin-skinned” and “vindictive” would describe it, almost to the point of a pathological disorder. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/97 "2016-01-27T19:01:02Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Ahhh…ok, thanks. Sorry. I was trying to be too clever by half. But, Trump gives me such a carnival barker vibe, that the carny terminology seems appropriate! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/98 "2016-01-27T19:02:22Z")
Nice for you, wolfpup, I doubt anyone would deny Trumps thin-skin act but you missed a blindingly clear “cowardice” message and felt the need to correct Bone over it. That’s all I was pointing out, Mr ReadsGood. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/99 "2016-01-27T19:03:33Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Meanwhile a **DSeid** prediction: Trump, despite being currently up by nearly 6 on Cruz and 21 on Rubio in the RCP Iowa rolling average will now lose Iowa handily and will drop his lead in New Hampshire significantly over the next week of polling. I predicted a Cruz victory over in the Iowa predictions thread, and I stand by that. But I don’t think it’ll be because of this; I think it’ll be because of ground game and GOTV. So say we’re both right and Cruz wins - how would you measure the impact of Trump’s non-appearance in this debate? Perhaps there’ll be some post-debate, pre-caucus polling that could measure the impact? > [@](#): > > But hey I’m an insensible observer Yeah, you, me, and everyone else here. What a weird campaign season so far.. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323/100 "2016-01-27T19:10:07Z")
This is genius. Trump knows that even GOP voters can’t be fooled by his persona for ever, and the thin cover of a (possibly real) Fox News campaign against him is perfect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-skip-debate/744323.md?page=6)