Televised presidential debates have only been a thing since 1960 with JFK and Nixon, and then a 16 year gap until the Carter/Ford debates in 1976 after which every election has had them. I chose to qualify with "modern history" in case someone came in with " ☝️🤓 um akshually Benjamin Whosifuck debated Andrew Jackson a full year before the general in 18XX." Apparently there is one like that (Lincoln/Douglas 1858
on a technicality) so that was shrewd in hindsight, although a better approach might have been to qualify with "televised debate".
The real issue is that this is happening before either party's primary. While it's all but assured Donny and Brandon will win their primaries, it's kind of skeevy to go ahead and declare yourself as winner before you've actually crossed the finish line. One would think civil religion libs would be aghast at this blatant disrespect of political norms, but bloo gonna bloo
If I was still a Dem "true believer" I would say this is a ploy by the conservadems/DINOs to preemtively stop a delegate revolution at the convention. All of those delegates watch polls like hawks and could be convinced to jump ship.
Televised presidential debates have only been a thing since 1960 with JFK and Nixon, and then a 16 year gap until the Carter/Ford debates in 1976 after which every election has had them. I chose to qualify with "modern history" in case someone came in with " ☝️🤓 um akshually Benjamin Whosifuck debated Andrew Jackson a full year before the general in 18XX." Apparently there is one like that (Lincoln/Douglas 1858 on a technicality) so that was shrewd in hindsight, although a better approach might have been to qualify with "televised debate".
The real issue is that this is happening before either party's primary. While it's all but assured Donny and Brandon will win their primaries, it's kind of skeevy to go ahead and declare yourself as winner before you've actually crossed the finish line. One would think civil religion libs would be aghast at this blatant disrespect of political norms, but bloo gonna bloo
Ahh that makes sense, thanks for setting me straight :)
If I was still a Dem "true believer" I would say this is a ploy by the conservadems/DINOs to preemtively stop a delegate revolution at the convention. All of those delegates watch polls like hawks and could be convinced to jump ship.
Now I just laugh