Biden got the debates he wanted. Complete shutdown

At a rally in Wisconsin last month, Donald Trump to boast that he would debate President Joe Biden “anytime, anywhere.”

“We’ll do it your way, Joe,” he said.

Biden unexpectedly called his bluff Wednesday with a pugnacious flair that left Trump with no choice but to agree.

“Donald Trump lost two debates against me in 2020” Biden said. “Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, buddy. I’ll even do it twice.”

The Biden campaign bypassed the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates and proposed two debates, one in June and one in October, without an audience and moderated by CNN and ABC News. Just two guys in a studio, making their point – a throwback to the original 1960 debates between Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon.

Whether or not third-party spoiler Robert F. Kennedy Jr. meets the qualifying criteria, the Biden campaign has stipulated that the debate must be one-on-one between Biden and Trump. The campaign also rejected Trump’s proposed third debate, which would have been moderated by Fox News.

But let’s stick with what we currently know: there will be an anticipated debate on June 27 and another on September 10, both without a hearing.

Debates are always tense for candidates, but these terms are a masterstroke from the Biden campaign. Many voters are still tuning out because they don’t like their choices and are putting off the reality of making that decision until later. We also know that Biden is do better with voters who are more informed and attentive. The Biden campaign therefore needs to wake up the electorate, and this unprecedented early debate is one of the best ways to do that.

Like the Biden pollster Jeffrey Pollock said of poorly informed voters, “You have to work your way into their lives…We have to force them to pay attention to politics.”

The sooner voters recognize the choice they will have to make in November, the better for Biden. While Trump’s extended stay in a Manhattan courtroom isn’t necessarily a good idea for a presidential candidate, it has the benefit of shielding the public from the spectacle of Trump’s repulsive behavior and his projects dismantle American democracy as we know it.

Additionally, by hosting a debate in June, Biden will have the opportunity to prepare the political landscape ahead of party conventions in July and August. The September debate, which is also the start of a final debate, leaves room for the event to fade from voters’ memories in case Biden has a night off…which is not uncommon for current presidents. The Biden campaign doesn’t want voters to go to the polls thinking about Biden; he wants voters to focus on the peril of a second Trump term and the threat of having him as “president for life“.

If Biden can reinforce this terrifying prospect during the September debate, it could haunt Trump all the way to the polls.

Another victory for the Biden team is depriving Trump of an audience. Trump is an artist with a sixth sense for what an audience wants, and giving it to them enlivens them. A direct studio debate prevents Trump from gaining an added advantage by performing in front of a responsive, live audience. He will only have his hand gestures, a glass of water and his grievances to work with.

Despite some reviews about Biden forgoing the debate tradition, his campaign got what it wanted, and that’s really all that matters. It’s understandable that he wants to bypass the Commission on Presidential Debates after it failed to enforce its own COVID-19 prevention rules in 2020, put Biden’s life in danger.

There’s no guarantee that Biden will perform well in either debate, but it’s a risk they have to take. Refusing to debate Trump would have reinforced the Republican narrative that he is afraid of his opponent and is not up to the task. So the Biden campaign maximized the upside, minimized the downside, and deprived Trump of his valuable audience.

Whatever criticisms are leveled at Biden, the format of these debates will give him the opportunity to shape the major issues of the election. And frankly, the more voters see of Trump, the better.

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