Do you think Trump will chicken out of the debates?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes
	16 (84%)
	No
	3 (16%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[still_one]

1. They won't let him, but unless the debate rules are carefully setup, it will be an ugly

name calling fiasco

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. They can't compel him to debate.

[still_one]

4. Maybe not compel him, but I am sure the rnc will exert a lot of pressure on him

if he decided not to debate.

I believe that even Trump realizes that if he refused to debate, he would essentially be forfeiting the election

[MADem]

9. Frankly, I think he's shitting himself.

I don't think he expected to get this far--and he has no plan.

On the one hand, he's giddy with power, on the other, he's shitting bricks because he owes so much money to the Russian mob (Putin's pals).

He has, as the saying goes, his hand in the dog's mouth.

If he wants to escape the debates, he'll have to fake illness or something.

[still_one]

11. I like that analysis MA

[Rosco T.]

10. How many minutes into the debate will he come out with "Crooked Hillary"...

.. rules be dammed.

[still_one]

12. That is a given, but at the same token he is going to be in for the surprise of his life

when he discovers that Hillary will NOT tolerate that sexist, racist, bigoted bully.

[Hoyt]

3. His white wing supporters expect him to debate, and think he will slam HRC, Obama, and Democrats

in general. To that 40-45% that support GOPers, no matter what, he will likely accomplish that (maybe a few will go we should have fielded a better candidate, but not many).

[sofa king]

5. I passed.

I think the national security violations that Donald Trump has committed in the past 100 hours will be used to gently walk him straight out of the race. I think that he will step out either this Friday or next, and I think that the RNC will try to nominate Paul Ryan in his place. Ryan may be too smart to do that, in which case we may see the return of Jeb!

I am definitely not 100% on this, however I consider it more likely than not that Trump's severe national security mistakes (asking the Russians to commit espionage, telling crowds of people what he learned in his first classified Presidential Daily Briefing) will require the national security apparatus of the United States to attempt to compel him to leave. They can be quite persuasive, I am told.

[Shrike47]

6. I think he's deathly afraid a moderator will demand specificity or point out the lies.

Since he doesn't actually know anything, he could be awfully embarrassed.

[piechartking]

7. A lot depends on polls I think

If Clinton is ahead in the polls he will take the risk. If he's ahead there's less motivation to debate

I have a niece whose husband was campaign manager for Congressman Scott DesJarlais in TN, a real gem of a human being, and DesJarlais never debated his Democratic opponent, seeing no need to with his comfortable lead.

[gratefultobelib]

8. He has been successful in refusing to release his tax returns. I can totally see him refusing to

debate. I don't know how it works, i.e. rules governing the debates, but unless it's against the law or something, he'll do whatever is in his best interests.

[workinclasszero]

13. He will show for the first one

Demagogue it, verbally poo on the stage so to speak, then storm off and claim its rigged against him and refuse all other offers to debate.

His bagger base will love it and Fox news/Hate radio will have his back.

[louis-t]

14. Yes, and then blame Hillary.

[nolabear]

15. I think he'll show up, try to be "presidential" and she will feed his fingertips to the wolverines.

After that all bets are off.

[hlthe2b]

16. He'll try... The larger question--who the hell would WANT to moderate?

and who on earth could do so effectively?

[Gothmog]

17. Trump is a coward

[LonghornJack]

18. He'll Come Up with a Reason...

....that he'll use a pretext for pulling out of the debates.

I can see Trump objecting to the moderators, or insisting that the third-party candidates be included. When he doesn't get his way, he'll pull out and go back to his "the game is rigged" mantra.

I can also see him insisting that his fans be allowed to cheer his arguments, as they did during the primary debates. I don't think he can live without the cheers that make him appear to be winning the debate. The debate organizers won't allow cheering, as they have since the start of presidential debates, so, predicatably, Trump walks out.

Anyone else see any similar scenarios where Trump skips?


LHJ