I'm calling it right now.

[maryellen99]

There will be no debates at all.

[Sticky]

1. Agree

I've been wondering how he will refuse to debate. He is a coward.

[Funtatlaguy]

6. He has to debate

It's not like the primary.
His strategy will be to answer every question with an attack.

[maryellen99]

11. Manafort/Putin won't allow it

Due to the Russia questions.

[Motley13]

15. and Tax Returns

[awoke_in_2003]

19. No, he doesn't

he will not do it, and the assholes will love him even more.

[Bucky]

10. the fucking cheapskate will hold out, demanding he get a cut of the profits

That's what he did in the spring primaries. It'll be under the guise of saying "the profits need to go to a charity" but that's just a stunt. The charity will be something run by a friend of his.

[Siwsan]

2. That's how I'm thinking, too

Even if he would want to, why would his controllers ever even consider putting him in that situation.

Of course, they were able to train Palin enough to keep her from looking like a total moron.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Actually, they didn't keep Palin from looking like a total moron.

But Trump will be even less amenable to training because he thinks he knows everything already.

[Siwsan]

8. Well, I'll just say she rose above my expectation, which was pretty much basement level

And it was before her obvious mental and emotional steep decline so her memory was still in tact.

[tallahasseedem]

9. They trained Palin

but the person who really kept her from screwing up was Joe Biden. The campaign didn't need him looking like he was beating up on her so he went very light with her.

[Siwsan]

12. Absolutely

Trump's narcissism is so deeply entrenched that he's not even 'trainable'. I think trying to keep him focused on the question at hand would be a total nightmare. He'd be in non-stop rant mode. Much like he is every time he speaks.

[tonyt53]

3. I think there will be one. Hillary will not respond to Trump's insults and will piss him off overall

He might even walk off the stage, spewing insults at the moderator, Hillary and everyone else. One debate.

[femmocrat]

4. Wow... he just said, "I didn't need this."

I bet his high-falutin' lifestyle is looking damn good to him now.

He is explaining why he got into the race and how he beat everyone else (with the highest vote in the Republican party!).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. You may be right. OTOH...

Trump rarely gives up an opportunity to be on a big public stage. He doesn't know how stupid he is and he certainly believes he can out-debate Hillary. So, we'll see. The debates have been scheduled already, so if he chickens out it will be interesting to see how he does it.

[HipChick]

13. I agree...

[wcmagumba]

14. When he refuses...

or bows out for some lame reason or other just put the Clint Eastwood empty chair behind the other podium and let H give him hell anyway....

[RandiFan1290]

16. He will try for a Fox debate

I think he will promise anything to get Hillary to agree to a Fox debate first and then he will back out of any of the others.

Then Fox will do all Donald infomercials on top of their 24hour rnc commercial.

[LanternWaste]

17. I dunno. I'd thought the same about Palin, but she went there.

I dunno. I'd thought the same about Palin, but she "gone and done did it" (and was roundly applauded for merely failing rather than failing miserably).

The two standards will be set late next month: Clinton will fail (as per media) if she doesn't hit every answer and response out of the park. Trump will win (again, as per media) if he simply doesn't fail miserably.

There's simply too much pressure on Presidential candidate to debate. Now the format, the place, and the number will be up in the air, but I simply don't see any way Trump can wiggle out of at least two national debates.

[awoke_in_2003]

20. Sarah is smarter...

I cannot believe I just typed that sentence.

[boston bean]

23. LOL. Never thought you would be able to say That, right??

[awoke_in_2003]

24. Almost had an aneurysm. nt

[boston bean]

25. I feel ya!!

[Charles Bukowski]

27. She absolutely is.

Stunning, but true.

[Orrex]

18. Oh, he'll debate

But Melania will write his responses.

[oldtime dfl_er]

26. wait

I'm sure you meant Meredith McIver.

[roamer65]

21. Hillary and Gary Johnson will debate...my prediction. N/t

[bigwillq]

22. Cool

[avebury]

28. Should the Dems take a page for The West Wing playbook

and have someone in a chicken costume follow Trump around?

[bermudat]

29. I don't think so either

Big Media will let him get away with it like they let him get
away with not producing his taxes.

[SCantiGOP]

30. Wouldn't surprise me

He has established that the press is corrupt and incompetent. He'll make unreasonable demands and try to act like he is boycotting the rigged system.
But -- if he is behind in the polls I don't think he can skip them without knowing he'll lose.