Trump Won't do Debate

[Right_in_Virginia]

Maybe Darrell Hammond could fill in for Trump.

Or Glenn Beck?

[Scottftlc]

Well, this is absolutely fascinating!  Get the popcorn out.  Roger Ailes doubled down tonight with quite a nasty-gram to go with his nasty-gram from earlier.  First National Review now Fox News.  It will be interesting how Trump fires back, I expect when he does it won't lack for boldness.  Fox is out there pretty far on a limb too, will their audience hold up?  Or will peace be made?

CNN has been all Trump all the time for the last three hours.  They are having a Trump love fest. The media is not a monolith, there is always an outlet that will love when a competitor is in a kerfuffle.

Damned entertaining, most entertaining campaign in memory...usually they are dull as dry toast.

[HAPPY2BME]

That's not what I'm saying. Not at all.  I think Trump was talked in to getting in this by Bill Clintoon for the sole purpose of taking out some serious but underfunded people that Hillary truly feared and it worked to perfection. Now the exit strategy begins to unfold.

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I'm lost for words.

[massadvj]

Good one, Vic. But you know as well as I do Romney or McCain is no Donald Trump. Can I get an amen!

He has to win the primary first.  If he can't win that, then he doesn't have the appeal.  The same would be true of anyone who fails to win the GOP primary.  That's why we have one.

[katzenjammer]

He has to win the primary emerge from the Convention with the nomination first.  If he can't win that, then he doesn't have the appeal.  The same would be true of anyone who fails to win the GOP primary.  That's why we have one.

Fixed that one, for you!  (Seriously, no candidates' supporters should think that anything is "over" until the Convention in Cleveland adjourns with a Nominee.  People aren't playing hopscotch here.)

[HAPPY2BME]

CNN has been all Trump all the time for the last three hours.  They are having a Trump love fest. The media is not a monolith, there is always an outlet that will love when a competitor is in a kerfuffle.

=====================================

This proves my point.

What other 'Republican' is getting this kind of exposure from 'both ends' of what we refer to as 'MSM' spectrum right now?

Is CNN talking about Ted Cruz?  Are they talking about Jeb Bush?

The CNN viewers that are eating that up are predominantly Hillary voters wanting to 'know' what Donald Trump is up to.

And the reason for that is that Donald Trump is the only Republican they are interested in hearing about.

This is still early in the game, but what this is creating is called 'swing voters.'

[aligncare]

He has to win the primary first.  If he can't win that, then he doesn't have the appeal.  The same would be true of anyone who fails to win the GOP primary.  That's why we have one.

I have always agreed with you about that. I felt the toughest hurdle would be the primary. Once that's behind him it's clear sailing. Two people on stage, one of them Donald Trump, the contrast will be absolutely stunning. Massive landslide for the Republicans.

If that happens, I can just hear the Republicans on this board going "Oh no, how terrible! Republicans won the presidency. Now what do we do?"

[Meshuge Mikey]

You make good points.

The stage will definitely be more intelligent and civil without his being there.

I may watch this one from beginning to end without the mute......

I couldnt resist!!!

[alicewonders]

Good one, Vic. But you know as well as I do Romney or McCain is no Donald Trump. Can I get an amen!

 

[aligncare]

 

Indians circling! Git behind the wagons, alice!

[Meshuge Mikey]

I have always agreed with you about that. I felt the toughest hurdle would be the primary. Once that's behind him it's clear sailing. Two people on stage, one of them Donald Trump, the contrast will be absolutely stunning. Massive landslide for the Republicans.

If that happens, I can just hear the Republicans on this board going "Oh no, how terrible! Republicans won the presidency. Now what do we do?"

the polls....tha pit Donna Twrump against Bernie or Hillary....havent gone too well for  The Donna


the polls with pitted Ted Cruz against either of those commie morons were in the win column for the Real Republican


I think the party GETS that as do most americans who are AWARE of those polls


DOnna Loses Ted WIns.....or choice to make...oh my!

[HAPPY2BME]

It's odd to see people being so angry at Trump for being the kind of candidate with such broad appeal that Republicans say they've been looking for.

I got a scratch my head over that.

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I understand it completely.

Donald Trump is an 'unknown entity' on a path they are not familiar with, being driven by motives that they do not agree with. 

Ted Cruz is not exactly an 'insider' either.  He has a lot of merit, and 'recognizable' behavior they are comfortable in attaching themselves to and willing to fight for.

I don't take any of that away from any of them, but the one stumbling block for them is that more voters are able to directly relate to the platform Donald Trump is standing on rather than Ted Cruz's.

We all have to wake up and smell the coffee.  And the rats.

[EC]

Best thing Cruz can do in the debate now is - on getting the first question which will inevitably be about Trump - say "He's not here, so we are not answering questions about him."

It gives the audience a far better look at the candidates.

It'll also drive Trump nuts, being totally blanked. 

[aligncare]

Best thing Cruz can do in the debate now is - on getting the first question which will inevitably be about Trump - say "He's not here, so we are not answering questions about him."

It gives the audience a far better look at the candidates.

It'll also drive Trump nuts, being totally blanked. 

True dat. And Ted Cruz is smart enough to have thought of that.

[katzenjammer]

For the record:

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/trump-campaign-statement-on-fox-news-debate

- January 26, 2016 -
Trump Campaign Statement on FOX News Debate

(New York, NY) January 26th, 2016 - As someone who wrote one of the best-selling business books of all time, The Art of the Deal, who has built an incredible company, including some of the most valuable and iconic assets in the world, and as someone who has a personal net worth of many billions of dollars, Mr. Trump knows a bad deal when he sees one. FOX News is making tens of millions of dollars on debates, and setting ratings records (the highest in history), where as in previous years they were low-rated afterthoughts.

Unlike the very stupid, highly incompetent people running our country into the ground, Mr. Trump knows when to walk away. Roger Ailes and FOX News think they can toy with him, but Mr. Trump doesn’t play games. There have already been six debates, and according to all online debate polls including Drudge, Slate, Time Magazine, and many others, Mr. Trump has won all of them, in particular the last one. Whereas he has always been a job creator and not a debater, he nevertheless truly enjoys the debating process - and it has been very good for him, both in polls and popularity.

He will not be participating in the FOX News debate and will instead host an event in Iowa to raise money for the Veterans and Wounded Warriors, who have been treated so horribly by our all talk, no action politicians. Like running for office as an extremely successful person, this takes guts and it is the kind of mentality our country needs in order to Make America Great Again.

[aligncare]

Unless Rupert Murdoch caves, that's it. Trump is a no show. I lost the bet to 240B. There's no way after issuing a statement like that, that Donald Trump will waltz in the last minute.

[truth_seeker]

It's odd to see people being so angry at Trump for being the kind of candidate with such broad appeal that Republicans say they've been looking for.

I got a scratch my head over that.

No kidding. For years it has been "why do the Republicans let the media do this to them? When are they going to say enough, and quit just going along?"

Somebody does, and whamo, "what is wrong with him?"

[Carling]

For the record:

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/trump-campaign-statement-on-fox-news-debate

That's a near-perfect statement by the Trump campaign, politically. 

The gloves are off and either Cruz or Trump are going to come out of this primary as a battle-tested candidate.  Meanwhile, Hillary, Sanders, or Biden will need the media to drag them over the finish line as Cruz or Trump call them out on their bias.

[DCPatriot]

Perhaps it's because CNN is liberal, and so is Trump.

No matter how much folks here hate FOX, it's clearly the most objective of all the networks, and the idea that Trump is so childish as to boycott because Kelly isn't "fair" indicates how weak a man he is.

They're cheering because he's so cool by doing this, but to anyone objective past the age of 14, he looks like an idiot.

Who here says they "hate FOX"?   

[massadvj]

That's a near-perfect statement by the Trump campaign, politically. 

The gloves are off and either Cruz or Trump are going to come out of this primary as a battle-tested candidate.  Meanwhile, Hillary, Sanders, or Biden will need the media to drag them over the finish line as Cruz or Trump call them out on their bias.

I am not sure this is entirely true.  If Trump wins Iowa, then someone else (probably Rubio) will rise from the lower tier to take Trump on as the last hope to stop him.  Cruz will be toast.  If Cruz wins Iowa, then I would say it becomes a two-man race.

[libertybele]

I am not sure this is entirely true.  If Trump wins Iowa, then someone else (probably Rubio) will rise from the lower tier to take Trump on as the last hope to stop him.  Cruz will be toast.  If Cruz wins Iowa, then I would say it becomes a two-man race.

I disagree .... no one is polling as close to Trump as Cruz ... Marco is 3rd .... BUT none of the votes are in.  We won't know for sure.

I think TRUMP is afraid of this debate that's why he's bowing out and he's using Kelly moderating as an excuse.  It's been months and Donald still has his nose bent out of joint over being asked a difficult question?  Bull.  He's been bashing Cruz and with not showing up in the debate eliminates giving Cruz a chance for rebuttal.  Cruz even challenged him to a one on one debate.  Not a word from Trump. He is afraid of debating Cruz any further before Iowa.  Trump is a coward.  He's hiding from the enemy.  It's one thing to attack someone over the airwaves, it's another to attack them to their face.  Shows how much Donald is nothing but all talk.

[DCPatriot]

It's like that guy that called into Rush today that said, "... I think it is absolutely funny that we finally got a third-party candidate and he's running within the Republican Party."

 

Exactly!   

[DCPatriot]

==========================

What you are SAYING here is that 'we' cannot get 'one of our' candidates nominated because DONALD TRUMP is running against them.

What you not SEEING here is that none of 'your' candidates can win this election.

The reason for that is that none of 'your' candidates is able to carry both the Republican vote AND the swing vote, which is 100% mandatory to win it.

Isn't it exhausting trying to explain it all the time?      

[DCPatriot]

What debate did not have gotcha questions or biased moderators?  And we complained. Candidates complained.  But I don't remember any of them pouting about it and running away. Until now.

Because...there's "complaining"....and then there's ACTION!  Action that will cost FOX dearly.

Leaders ACT.   Republicans complain.

[libertybele]

Because...there's "complaining"....and then there's ACTION!  Action that will cost FOX dearly.

Leaders ACT.   Republicans complain.

Exactly ... Trump is still whining.