I think you missed the next sentence after the one you quoted, but I’m not going to start an insurrection over it! 
Josh Marshall, 4 hours ago. Also earlier today:
You heard it at this message board first.
It’d be nice if Mr. Marshall were to state why he believes that.
The debate is now nine days away, so if he plans on chickening out he’s got a lot of work to do fast.
I’m sure that any excuse he tries to use can be countered somehow.
“My plane doesn’t have the fuel.” Well, you can buy more fuel for it, or you can fly commercially.
“I never agreed to the rules.” Likely Biden didn’t either, but when presented with the rules, he was fine with them. You were presented with the rules too, and could have negotiated them, at that time. You chose not to.
“The timing leaves me hardly any time to get to my rally in [place name] after.” This debate’s date and time have been set for some weeks now. Maybe you shouldn’t have scheduled a rally shortly after the debate.
“But I could be campaigning, instead of debating.” Um … campaign debates are campaigning events. There’s more to campaigning than holding rallies for adoring fans.
“It’s on CNN, which has lousy ratings.” Spoken like a true TV show host, Donnie. If CNN’s ratings are so bad, then how does it manage to sell all that advertising and stay in business? Somebody is watching it. Maybe not your supporters, but enough Americans are that it remains a viable business enterprise. Your message will reach a whole new audience, who have never been to your rallies.
And so on. Point is, that no matter what excuse Trump tries to use, there is a counter-argument to it. And the more he flails around looking for more excuses, the more desperate, and more pathetic, he appears.
Why does he need an excuse?
I’d bet a bit of money that he just doesn’t show up on the day. No explanation, no warning, no excuse, just ghosting the whole thing.
Because he’s Trump. He needs excuses to show how put-upon he is. He can’t build a wall because Democrats are getting in the way of funding it. He can’t ban Muslims because of that pesky First Amendment. He can’t renegotiate NAFTA to something advantageous to the United States, because of those Canadians and Mexicans.
He’s got an excuse for everything.
If he doesn’t show up to the debate, then Biden gets to hold a town hall. There won’t be a studio audience, but I’m sure that CNN can quickly put together a 1-800 line to field questions for Biden from Americans. No Trump input at all. And he will hate that.
I wonder if CNN already has that contingency set up. They should.
It’s what happened with the debate that Trump bailed on in 2020 - Biden got a prime-time town hall, and then Trump went and got his own for the same night at the same time.
Biden’s got better ratings than Trump’s did, which no doubt burns him up inside to this day and is IMO another reason he won’t pull that move twice.
… to people ill-disposed towards him. Such as almost all of us here.
To his fans, that all looks like resolute strength in the face of a sustained attack that would overwhelm any lesser mortal than the mighty supertrump.
Propaganda-besotted morons the lot of 'em.
“My parole officer will violate me if I travel outside the state.”
Two responses to this:
(1) This election will not be determined by hard core MAGA. Hard core MAGA is a lost cause. This election will be won or lost by increasing turnout among people who are meh about Biden, and by changing the minds among the relatively few people who are undecided.
(2) there will end up being people who voted for Trump in 2016 and/or 2020 but don’t vote for him in 2024. Not all Trump voters are/were hardcore MAGA. (And for that matter, there are probably even a few people who at one point identified as hardcore MAGA and then got better). Every drip drip drip of Trump-weasels-out-of-a-debate is another teeny bit of pressure that pushes such people leftward.
Basically, my point is, “but really really hardcore MAGA people won’t care” as a response to just about anything is (a) true and (b) irrelevant
Biden campaign blasts email taunting Trump-world’s debate fears and excuses. Press release quoted in full, via TPM.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2024
Trump’s Debate Lies Show How Scared He Is
Donald Trump is a liar and a fraud. His campaign is full of liars and frauds. And their desperate leaks and lies to the right-wing media only underscore how scared Donald Trump is to debate.This is Donald’s debate playbook: lies, distractions, and deceit.Donald Trump and his campaign are scared because they can’t defend his record, personal conduct, or extreme agenda in front of the American people.Donald can’t defend that he’s a criminal who has been convicted of 34 felonies, was found liable for sexual assault, committed financial fraud, and is only out for himself.
Donald can’t defend his endorsement of state abortion bans, including ones that track women’s pregnancies, threaten access to IVF, and punish women.
Donald can’t defend that he has the worst jobs record of any modern president and oversaw the largest increase in the murder rate on record.
Donald can’t defend his economic agenda of higher prices for working Americans and Social Security cuts – all so he can give corporations and billionaires more tax handouts.
Donald can’t defend that he’s unhinged about losing by 7 million votes to Joe Biden in 2020, is proposing to be a “dictator” on day one, and a violent “bloodbath” when he loses again in November.
Donald can’t defend his actions on or leading up to January 6.
Donald can’t defend his extreme Supreme Court nominees.
Donald can’t defend being a lifelong racist who failed Black and brown America as president.
Donald can’t defend wanting to rip away health care protections from more than 100 million Americans.
Donald can’t defend insulting veterans, law enforcement, and the American people.We are at an inflection point as a nation. Our freedoms, our democracy, our middle class, our leadership on the world stage are all at stake.To lead America, the land of possibilities, you need a vision for the future of what America can and should be. Donald Trump does not have a vision of anything beyond the failure he sees in the mirror.
Statement from TJ Ducklo, Biden-Harris 2024 Senior Advisor for Communications:“Donald Trump has been playing games around debates for years: lying about negotiations, bailing at the last minute, and making insane accusations about moderators and microphones all because he’s terrified to defend the dangerous and extreme things he’s done and promises to do again.“Joe Biden will be at the debate standing up for our democracy, our freedoms, and the American people. If Trump would like to sit down behind his podium he can, but we’re worried he may fall asleep. If he shows up at all.”
I’ve seen it suggested a number of times that if Trump chickens out he will need to do it soon. I truly don’t understand why that would be the case. There is absolutely nothing to prevent him to announce on the morning of the debate “It is obvious Sleepy Joe will be drugged up to appear alert and competent for the event this evening. As a result I refuse to take part in such a clearly rigged attempt to keep the Biden Crime Family in a position to continue destroying America. If he will submit to a drug test I will consider the future date but as things stand I will not be taking part in this clearly dishonest debate.”
Or something like that. The MAGAts will love it and the GOP toadies will support him. Plus it will generate even more publicity to feed his ego.
Remember when the Biden Administration had to fire Ducklo from his Deputy Press Secretary job for threatening a reporter? DC really is just a merry-go-round.
I also remember he had a terminal disease a few years ago. I had him on my Death Pool list. It appears he lived.
I agree. I don’t get at all why he’s running out of time. The morning of the debate he says he won’t participate because of reasons. Does anyone actually believe he’d hesitate because it might be perceived as illogical? Because it would be unfair to the people who relied on his commitment? “Yeah, I waited too long. This just feels wrong.”
BTW, I’m not predicting he won’t debate. I’m just saying he’ll do whatever he thinks best serves himself, and won’t give a shit about anything else.
The morning of the debate wouldn’t be enough time for him to schedule a prime-time TV appearance to counter-program the 90 minutes of free airtime he’ll be donating to Biden by backing out. CNN isn’t just gonna throw up their hands and stick an Anthony Bourdain rerun in that time slot when they’ve already got the president in town and committed to being there.
Is that true? I agree it would be a logistical nightmare, but if Trump insisted, what would be the insurmountable obstacle? Sincere question…
What network is gonna bend over backwards to accomodate him on that notice? Fox News has to be worried he’ll say something that will give more ammo to the lawsuits against him. CNBC and Newsmax and OANN can’t deliver the kind of ratings he craves. Any of the broadcast networks already have a prime-time schedule booked for next Thursday.
For contrast, when he backed out of the debate in 2020 he did so six days beforehand, so if he’s going to drop out it’s likely to be in the next couple of days.
I have zero experience in news program production, so I have no counter. But I suspect Fox could and would accommodate if so ordered.