All she has to do is say she'll show up to talk to the American people even if Trump doesn't feel it's important or if he can't handle a debate.
Maybe even say it's understandable given his age and general health threat he can't handle it again.
And trump will 100% show up and make an even bigger ass of himself.
It's against instinct, but that's how you fuck with people like trump
Man oh man, do I hope the Harris campaign embraces this trolling-the-troll tactic, and that it makes an impact with enough of the bOtH pArTiEs ArE tHe SaMe LoL aMiRiTe dumb-as-a-rock crowd.
I wish it mattered. I wish facts and functional debate mattered more than racism, bigotry, and fear of others. People who vote for him do so not because of his ability in discourse.
We can make it matter. Vote, get active, and get involved
Find how to register to vote for where you are
Find opportunities to volunteer around you
Volunteering for campaigns can help lead to no joke increases in voter turnout, so don't underestimate it!
That sounds awfully complicated just to use one of your most basic rights. The right to choose your government.
Consider, if you would for a moment, that the above comment could be directed at people–it’s wild but hear me out–who are not you.
FUCK YOUR FEELINGS Commie! But Kamala Harris hurt my feelings so she's BAD and I'm NOT Voting for her!
I wish politics didn't get reduced to "he/she was good on the teevee" level or below that.
In 2016, I remember Hillary being perfectly rational and clear during the debates. Yet I also remember reaction photos from across the country, people not even listening to the words being spoken, just squirming at the sight of Clinton, poisoned by decades of negative propaganda against her, utterly oblivious just how viscerally they had been manipulated by right-wing media's hatred towards "this... this... uppity librul woman".
They didn't listen to a single goddamned word being spoken by anyone. They might as well been watching a silent .gif as far as they were concerned. Such informed voters, so savvy! bOtH pArTiEs ArE tHe SaMe!
And Harris seems to know how dimwitted those viewers are, hence the vibe check campaign. You don't need to comprehend words to see Trump squirm and her laughing it off. I hope that plan works!
The voters were right actually. Trump lost the popular vote by a decent chunk. It's our fucked up, right biased electoral college that put him in the White House. Hillary won the voters.
Shhh, don't tell them there is a lot of slant to their side, it would shatter their victim complex
The people who vote for him don't read, they barely understand segments on TV - they understand the big picture from sound bites and short videos. The debates just broke Trump into the worst possible clips imaginable and will definitely trickle into the feeds of some ardent followers who will question why their man looked stupid when usually he looks so smart. It will show the deplorables their leader IS that dumb.
Until last night, I thought sometimes Trump was being maybe 1% strategic by behaving like one of these goofballs that votes for him. After watching him debate with the moderators using "I SAW IT ON TV" as an argument, I think he is one of them.
Trump famously watched a lot of Fox News while in the white house. I think in the logs it was called “private time” or something.
More specifically: he is furious that he was humiliated by a woman.
Because humiliating women is part of his imminent being, thus his status quo has been challenged, and he fuckin' hates that someone beneath him doesn't "know their place."
Hope she wins.
There was some windbag that was talking about winning handshakes years ago, this mindset definitely extends to that.
if you zoom in on the one (handshake) at the debate you can see that Harris turned his hand inward. this is a pretty common step to establishing dominance. she's smart enough to know this.
I don't know why, but I have a feeling that Trump's handshake is very weak and limp anyway. Like shaking hands with a dead trout.
Literally happens as they are introduced in the beginning of the debate. Shouldn't be hard to find. If I had better internet I would link you with timestamp
find the debate on YouTube it's literally within the first couple minutes as they walk in
"She used to be black, then she wasn't. Now she is. I don't care."
And nobody asked "how did she stop being black?"
She established control with the forced handshake and introducing herself. Which I don't think she planned, but she saw the opportunity and jumped all over it. I almost expected him to turn away and run off, it rattled him.
I believe that was 100% planned, she knew perfectly well going in he wouldn't meet her in the middle and instead asserted the situation. He didn't shake hands with Clinton or Biden - I thought it was a great way to show him she's different.
Yeah, she’s competent, she practiced everything she possibly could and that’s a guarantee
I mean at this point he probably has a phobia of adept legal professionals. She probably gave him the Prosecution stare and he damn near wet himself.
I didn't even think of this angle.
He's been in so many courtrooms as of late, that he can SMELL the judicial system on her and panicked.
How do you think they chose to have her introduce herself by name?
Saw speculation it was due to mispronunciation
She should take the opportunity to debate an empty podium. (Mostly kidding, because when Eastwood "debated" an empty chair, he just seemed senile and silly.)
But I do think the country needs to see Tim Walz give a good schooling to JD Vance.
Trump wasn't going to say anything coherent anyway. Just stick Alec Baldwin up there and have him read AI generated nonsense.
How about just a giant cardboard cut out with a button when pressed, just gives a random 30 second ramble from him.
It would honestly be good criticism since it would functionally be the same.
I think the country seeing more of those two would really sway votes the way I'd prefer. So I'm biased.
But gov Walz represents as very genuine and honest and caring, and the more we can see some of that on our TVs the more we can believe that a most-good-soonest kind of administration is an option.
Look. They could lose. Or Harris and Walz could be faking, even if I don't think so (or want to think so). Or gopnik fearmongering could be right and they could only be barely better than a Dump/Chance ticket.
Just give us this. We haven't had positivity and hope since prez Obama and the hope of Change[TM].
Now, as I haven't suggested everyone boycott for one particular single issue or another, I expect downvotes right to hell. So be it.
Waltz is the guy you want to be your dad, your uncle, your coach, or just the highly respected friend at the bar.
We need more of him. Clone him, someone.
I think the country seeing more of those two would really sway votes the way I’d prefer. So I’m biased.
It won't change a single vote.
It will only change the way they say they voted.
It's just like 2016 before the election, everyone is a devout libertarian, sticking by their principles.
Speaking of voter fraud, did you know nobody voted for Bush in 2004? Everyone you ask says they didn't now, weird huh?
She should take the opportunity to debate an empty podium. (Mostly kidding, because when Eastwood "debated" an empty chair, he just seemed senile and silly.)
A whole debate with that would be silly. She could turn it into a town hall style discussion and run commercials with her debating and "waiting" on donald. He could be scared somewhere with a blankie.
Look at the debate from the start. His slow ass could barely make it to his podium before she was their to shake his hand. She was fast, confident, and looked strong to me. Donald looked like he was huffing to the stage.
She should take the opportunity to debate an empty podium
Or a handbag
Hopefully this is the election that ends Trump's political career once and for all. Guy just needs to fuck off for good.
The interviews with independents worry me. The Times was saying they complained about not getting enough specifics from Harris.
Which is infurating being how handwavy Trump's whole platform is. For example, I have no idea how he intends to get sub $2 gas being the last time it happened the price of crude was literally negative.
Some independent voters are just Republicans that are ashamed to admit it. You are not persuading them.
For movable independents, Harris spoke of infinitely more policy specifics because Trump had zippo the entire night.
All libertarians are just republicans minus the religion who probably smoke week. They'll vote red all the live long day but will go full "Well Ackchyually" so they can easily dismiss when the guy they voted for does something truthfully awful
Libertarians are just people who think they shouldn't have to pay taxes believe they deserve everything taxes pay for by virtue of their inflated self-worth
Boomers are violently against all forms of socialism.
Keep your government out of their medicare and social security!
Honest question: Do you vote? And which party must aligns most with your values?
I would think it would be difficult for you in the mostly binary first-past-the-post political world we have.
If I had to guess, the party that wants to convert the US to an authoritarian dictatorship through Project 2025 probably is less represented by an absolution of heirachical structures than the party that wants a maintaining of status quo. Not that they both don't represent their own forms of heirarchical structures, but one is significantly harder to remove than the other.
Don't be so sure. It may not be Trump but wanna bet that Elon Musk will run for president with the same kind of BS?
Why do people keep saying this? Leon was born in South Africa. So unless Trump wins and fucks everything, the muskrat cannot be president.
The only people that were able to be president and not born a US citizen, were the founding fathers. Basically you have to be born on US territory to be eligible. The Republicans tried to charge that so they could run Schwarzenegger but it didn't get very far and probably won't be tried again for a generation.
But that's not going to stop a naturally born American citizen sock puppet of Musky from trying to run as a candidate
He's old news. I doubt he has a political career after his term but otherwise it's definitely DOA outside of Florida.
Is this actually confined? I don't want to take what comes out of the shitter as truth
Edit: YUP
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/11/media/will-trump-and-harris-debate-again-abc-moderators/index.html
FUCKING ROASTED
uhhh... Is that "confirmed"? Seems to say "Trump still won't commit" which is substantially different from "Trump won't do it"
Where? In the article I see
“Are we going to do a rematch? I just don’t know,” he told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “We’ll think about it.”
His comments suggest he is not altogether serious about a sequel. In a morning phone call to the co-hosts of “Fox & Friends,” he said, “when you win the debate, I don’t, I don’t know that I want to do another debate.”
“I wouldn’t want to have Bret and Martha,” he said, before proposing Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters or Laura Ingraham instead.
Trump told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he would theoretically show up for a debate hosted by either NBC or Fox, but first “we have to determine whether or not we even want to do it.”
“Obviously, he likes these debates and he’s good at them, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he wants to step back in the ring, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t. It’s his choice,” Vance told Fox News.
Which definitely shows insecurity, but nothing definite (unfortunately).
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/12/trump-refuses-harris-debate-again-00178933
"There will be no third debate"
His fans had the same thoughts you did and he had to later clarify. He didn't want to admit it initially (what a shocker( but they forced his hand
Roasted.
Whoa, of course he tried to spin it as a win, but it’s still impressive that they forced him to admit he doesn’t want to debate Harris again.
His fans will probably believe his “version” of why he doesn’t want to, but for everyone else it’s pretty clear and that’s what counts.
Conventional knowledge is that it's in Harris's advantage to not give him another chance, even though she'd probably trounce him. He's mostly just afraid of her after being bullied back effectively for the first time on stage.
I cried laughing when he took the rally size bait. It's a shame we won't get more of that, lol
I cried laughing when he took the rally size bait. It's a shame we won't get more of that, lol
I don't watch american debates. What was the bait?
She invited the American public to watch one of his weird rallies and watch how his small crowds leave early due to exhaustion and boredom.
He could not help himself and refused to answer the next debate question spending all of his time talking about how big his rallies were, how Harris’ rallies were small and fake.
He ended it with, and I have to preface this with the fact that this is a real thing that happened and not hyperbole I’m using for comedic effect, talking about some unhinged and completely baseless conspiracy about immigrants stealing and eating peoples pets.
The best part is that it didn't end there. He then got in an argument with the moderator about it.
If I had the chance to call myself in 2016, I don't think my past self would believe half the shit I'd say.
Dasus: Hey future me. So, how did Hillary's first and second terms in office go?
Future Dasus: Yeah.... about that.
Dasus: No. Oh no. Dammit. There are that many stupid people voting that trash into office? Man, where is a good old fashioned plague when you need one? /s
Future Dasus: You're not gonna believe this...
talking about some unhinged and completely baseless conspiracy about immigrants stealing and eating peoples pets.
The fact that he was so easily riled up and went immediately off script with such wild baseless improv, only to get fact-checked by the moderator, was glorious to watch. His handlers advisors must have broken the sound barrier face-palming through that.
Remember that time Trump did so horribly in the debate then wandered out into the press room after to make sure everybody thought he did well?
Not that I don't believe this - Snell is a laywer and commentator seen on MSNBC and NPR - but I would like to see more than a screenshot of a tweet about it.
Not OP, but
Former President Trump told "Fox and Friends" Wednesday morning that he is "less inclined" to participate in another debate against Vice President Kamala Harris before the election
https://www.axios.com/2024/09/11/trump-harris-second-debate-2024
He always was afraid of her. He's afraid of any woman who isn't an Eastern Block prostitute/handler.
Time to start calling in to any news outlet at the same time that Trump's on the air to debate him over the phone.
Then create social media bots to reply to each of Trump's posts with "Why is this weird old guy too scared to debate me?"
Bully him out of his own safe spaces and see what happens when he has nowhere to hide.
True. Politics has always been the art of molding public perception and opinion.
"Grunk. Shubor like your cave. He want it. I will help protect. Trust me."
Worth noting, that the person who feels like they won the debate won't want more because it can only hurt them. He probably thinks he won.
It could be either; he thinks he won or he knows he lost and has no hope of improving.
Fwiw I think the few undecideds that are left probably saw what they needed to make their decision last night.
The behaviour is also consistent with someone who knows they lost and expects to lose hard again if there's a rematch. Maybe even more so if he had the impression he was holding his own while it was going and then saw what everyone else was saying after the fact.
I wonder what would make him think that... Oh. Just patting themselves on the back. The only "debate polls" he won are xitter bot garbage
Oh man I am looking forward to JD Vance asking everyone how long they've been working there.
Trump can read a room and change his positions accordingly; he knows banning abortion is unpopular, so he frames it as "Well actually I'm why all those states had referendum's protecting women's healthcare", which is is true, in the same way Rosa Park's bus driver played a role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
JD Vance does not have such instincts.
Ok, you know what Harris should do instead then? Do a live AMA on fox with real viewer questions. Seeing those numbers Trump wouldn't be able to restrain himself from demanding another debate. And this time it'll start with an announcer going "round two, fight!" and not end before "finish him!"
She has nothing to gain from that. Why would she open herself to possibly critical questions she cannot prepare for?
Why should she be afraid of critical questions? Besides baiting Trump, Harris would also show that she will be the president of the entire country, not just the people who voted for her. I may have paraphrased that bit from the west wing, but it does have some merit.
If american politics should be less polarized, then you can't have a third of the citizens feeling left out. What good can come from dismissing the topics that Trump's voters feel are important? Make them feel seen and make them feel heard. No, you probably can't reach the rally going nuts, but if people only voted for Trump, if they'd been to a rally, then he wouldn't be an issue.
The US is deeply divided and the Democrats are deeply divided. Harris doesn't have anywhere near the charisma of Obama or Bill Clinton. She will be elected on not being Trump. Take for example how she handled protests against the continued support for Israel at the DNC. She outright told protestors that they shouldn't talk about it, because that helps Trump and she denied any Palestinian-American to speak, because the party is dependent on AIPAC.
She simply cannot be the president of the "entire country" at the moment. Addressing the rifts created by Trump, Hillary Clinton and the like takes time. Also she will need to purge a lot of people from the Biden establishment before being able to run on her own platform.
Your bar for her charisma is ridiculously high. Is it because she's a woman, and they are expected to be more charming? She's fucking fire.
He was scared of her already. When they entered the stage he was intimidated. Go wash somebody reviewing body language and they'll show you bit by bit just how bad it was. The part where he refused to even look at her no matter what his circumstances? Yeah he was terrified and no idea of how to process it.
... and the moderators fact-checked his shit.
Honestly, Kamala didn't have to say anything. It was all "trump v trump" for a little while there which was worth seeing and has been the crown jewel of very debate digest. All that needed to happen was for moderators to call bullshit on his hyperbole and fabrication in real time.