There\u2019s a word for a man who is afraid to show up: coward. <\/p>\n
Former President Donald Trump is a coward when it comes to debating his primary opponents. <\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong: Sometimes cowards win. For example, the governor of Arizona refused to debate her opponent last year, and she\u2019s the current governor of Arizona. In politics, as in sports, it doesn\u2019t matter if you win by one or by 1 million. <\/p>\n
But in politics, especially presidential politics, courage matters. <\/p>\n
A rather large part of Trump\u2019s appeal in 2016 was his seeming fearlessness. He was willing to say things that were not poll-tested. In some cases, conventional wisdom held that his comments would prove disastrous for any candidate to utter them, even if they reflected things that many people were thinking. <\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s willingness to speak out, even at the possible cost of offending everyone, was endearing in a very weird way. It\u2019s also what made his rallies must-see television. <\/p>\n
Trump is no longer a political novice or \u201cjust a businessman.\u201d He is now a politician, because that\u2019s what happens when you become president. And the \u201caw, shucks, I\u2019m new to all this\u201d attitude doesn\u2019t play for him now the same as it did in 2016. As a politician, Trump didn\u2019t just fall off the turnip truck. <\/p>\n
In 2016, when Trump said things that tied the tongues of his primary opponents or even Hillary Clinton, it was both fun and funny. But at a certain point, the president has to be at least a little presidential. So does a former president. Attitude is a poor substitute for substance the second time around. <\/p>\n
Trump is far ahead in the polls. The only thing with greater separation between Trump and his competitors are the Republican nominating contests themselves. The argument that Trump doesn\u2019t need to debate because of his current lead is a poor one. Early poll \u201cwinners\u201d such as Scott Walker and Howard Dean can tell you how that worked out. <\/p>\n
And don\u2019t forget that Trump did skip a 2016 debate. He might have lost the Iowa caucuses as a consequence, as he himself acknowledged afterward. <\/p>\n
Trump really isn\u2019t campaigning much at all. He holds occasional rallies, but those aren\u2019t designed to broaden his appeal. They\u2019re mostly just airings of his grievances. Attendees this time around are his devoted faithful, not curious and undecided voters. <\/p>\n
And Trump\u2019s currently strong polling in the general election is more a reflection of just how bad at the job President Joe Biden has been. It has nothing to do with the public yearning for Trump or any other Republican. <\/p>\n
In the abstract, it is enough right now not to be Biden, especially since Trump isn\u2019t really making much of a case for himself. That won\u2019t remain true for long. <\/p>\n
In most of Trump\u2019s campaign speeches and interviews (regardless of the question), he whines about the media and lies about his opponents \u2014 mostly Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). Somehow, DeSantis was closer to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during COVID-19 than Trump, even though DeSantis quickly began to ignore Fauci\u2019s decrees, whereas Trump basically turned over his administration to Fauci. <\/p>\n
Lying about someone when they\u2019re not there to refute it is easy. Having that person on stage next to you is a whole different ballgame. <\/p>\n
Being on stage means having to answer for contradicting your previous stance on abortion. It means having to answer for Fauci. It means having to answer for dozens of personnel decisions that retroactively became \u201chorrible\u201d because the hires ultimately disagreed with you. It means having to explain totalitarian-sounding declarations about using the presidency to unleash government on your political enemies \u2014 even if they deserve it on strictly karmic terms \u2014 or attacking the First Amendment. <\/p>\n
Most importantly, debating means having to articulate specifics about a vision for the future. Thus far, Trump\u2019s argument seems to be that he deserves to be rewarded for previous deeds. While things were certainly better under Trump than they are now, the presidency is not a thank-you card for deeds you did years ago. <\/p>\n
Trump shouldn\u2019t debate, his supporters say, because there\u2019s nowhere for him to go but down. That\u2019s not true, though. He could wipe out everyone else, if he prepared and performed well. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s what I think he\u2019s really afraid of. <\/p>\n
If he doesn\u2019t show up because the others aren\u2019t \u201clegitimate\u201d contenders, then Biden is empowered to do the same. Legitimacy, after all, is in the eye of the beholder. <\/p>\n
Biden doesn\u2019t want to be on stage with Trump for largely the same reasons Trump doesn\u2019t want to be on stage with other Republican candidates. If Trump won\u2019t do it, why would Biden? Then it becomes a campaign of two old men hurling personal insults on social media, which is exactly what Democrats want \u2014 a rerun of 2020. <\/p>\n
President Trump, man up and debate \u2014 if only to show the voters you still can. <\/p>\n
Derek Hunter is host of the Derek Hunter Podcast and a former staffer for the late Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.). <\/p>\n
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Go here to read the rest: <\/p>\n
Donald Trump is a coward for not debating tonight - The Hill<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There\u2019s a word for a man who is afraid to show up: coward. Former President Donald Trump is a coward when it comes to debating his primary opponents. Don\u2019t get me wrong: Sometimes cowards win. Continue reading