Here's my prediction: Trump will refuse to debate and it'll be Hillary vs Gary Johnson.

[Drunken Irishman]

Stein is just not even making a dent in national polls - but Johnson is. He just needs to reach a certain threshold and he's in. Trump won't debate, Hillary will, and it'll be those two when it's all said and done.

[leftofcool]

1. That is a good possibility.

She will wipe the floor with Johnson. He is as nutty as they come.

[rjsquirrel]

30. He is not that nutty actually

He and Bill Weld were both popular moderate republican governors. He is civil and well spoken and intelligent. He has some out there ideas, but compared to Jill Stein he's a pillar of normalcy and rationality.

[still_one]

2. I disagree. Trump will debate, and I suspect both him and Johnson will try and gang up on Hillary.

Johnson has nothing to lose.

[leftofcool]

3. Well, Trump is already making excuses to not show up.

[still_one]

4. The republican party won't let him

[Zambero]

6. Yes, the whole thing will be completely RIGGED

"As usual"

[63splitwindow]

7. I ask because I don't know. Does Johnson have any character as a human being?

[still_one]

12. He is a libertarian. While some of his positions align with progressives, libertarians, including

Johnson is against government funded Healthcare, against raising the minimum wage, believes government should not be involved in job creation, and views government the same way as Ayn Rand

http://www.ontheissues.org/Gary_Johnson.htm

[63splitwindow]

14. If all 3 were at a debate and Don the Con just started slinging vulgar poo at Hillary...

would Johnson stand up to him?

[still_one]

16. He wouldn't resort to the vulgarity himself, but I don't know if he would actually tell Trump to

stop the name calling, if Trump was directing it at Hillary

[63splitwindow]

18. To me that means he lacks character and decency. Stupid politically also IMHO.

[still_one]

21. Keep in mind I didn't say he wouldn't, I have no idea. It's an interesting question. I also agree

you if he or anyone didn't call something like that out

[gwheezie]

20. Johnson called trump a pussy several times

He even apologized and said he shouldn't have called trump a pussy but then said he did it because Trump is a pussy
I don't think Johnson is going to worry what he calls trump

[63splitwindow]

22. GREAT! Hope he's there if Don the Con shows.

[Lord Magus]

17. Johnson has no chance of actually being in the debates.

I honestly have no idea why anybody thinks that'll happen, given that he's not even close to the 15% polling threshold.

[calguy]

23. Forget about Johnson participating in any debate

Unless I'm mistaken, he needs to be polling at 15%. That simply isn't going to happen

[Warpy]

5. That is a debate I'd be happy to watch

It was the sort of thing that happened in the years before Nixon showed us what ugly to the bone looked like. Johnson is what Republicans used to be--decent but dead wrong on economic issues.

It would be a refreshing thing to see but only if Drumpf is out of it. It's what the country used to be like.

[63splitwindow]

8. If he is, indeed, decent, won't he call Don the Con out if personal insults start spewing from him?

[Warpy]

10. Huh?

Don't worry, if he starts to creep up in the poll numbers, taking them away from the RNC's sideshow act, the insults will fly. Whether or not Johnson will dignify them with a replay is anyone's guess.

[63splitwindow]

11. During a debate where all 3 are present, would Johnson call out Don the Con...

if Don the Con started spewing vulgar insults at Hillary instead of debating issues? That is what a decent person would do.

[PSPS]

9. There's no downside to him refusing, if you think about it.

I suspect he'll try to do something like he did in the primary debates -- refuse to participate because "unfair" and, instead, have a "competing" event somewhere that he will proclaim a success because "it got better ratings."

[63splitwindow]

13. Whatever he does, his dumbass base will think it is the greatest thing since the Gettysburg Address.

[Lord Magus]

19. No downside?

His cult will think anything he does is brilliant, but it would definitely hurt him among the rest of the electorate. And he wouldn't be able to proclaim "better ratings" because there wouldn't be a debate to compare to.

[PSPS]

24. "The rest of the electorate" isn't voting for him anyway. Thus, no downside.

[Lord Magus]

25. If all he gets is his core base of cultists he loses in a landslide.

So yes, that's a downside.

[Cosmocat]

33. I have said repeatedly he will hijack or grandstand them them in some way

As you noted, because that is what he did in the primary.

I don't know if he will do them, I strongly suspect he won't do them all.

But, he is doing what I said he would do.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. he's an egomaniac.

No way will he chicken out.

[geek tragedy]

34. He is s bully, and bullies are cowards.

He'd have to talk policy for 10-15 minutes on each issue. He knows he can't do that.

[David__77]

26. I have a thought that debates may not happen.

I wouldn't be surprised by that at all. The traditional we're-all-Americans understanding of the two parties has, I think, increasingly broken down.

[Charles Bukowski]

27. It's lose-lose either way

for Dimwitted Donald.

If he refuses to debate, he looks like a gigantic coward.

If he shows up, Hillary pulverizes him into orange dust.

[think]

28. While I doubt that will happen the debate would be of a much higher quality without Trump there

[left-of-center2012]

29. Nope

I heard today Johnson would have to get 15% or better in several national polls to get into the debates.
Last I heard he was at 9%.

And if Trump won't debate Hillary, I don't see her debating Johnson.
It could build up his vote in November.

I could see Trump refusing to debate, blaming it on Hillary for some made up reason.

[oberliner]

31. Zero chance of that happening

Absolutely none.

[BlueMTexpat]

32. IMO, Hillary should not debate ANYONE

who does not meet the 15% threshold. Johnson currently does not.

[avebury]

35. They wll probably put Trump throught the Sarah Palin school of

debate prep. Just memorize a few lines and zingers and pray he doesn't do down in flames.