Editorial: Cancel remaining presidential debates, spare us Trump's rudeness and disrespect
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020 -- No one should have to put up with the kind of abuse that President Donald Trump subjected the nation to during his appearance with Joe Biden Tuesday night. It may have had the trappings of a presidential campaign forum and been presented under the auspices of the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debate. This was no debate. It was no exchange of competing ideas. It was a globally televised verbal schoolyard mugging by Trump.
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The American people watched as the central pillar of the nation’s representative government was relentlessly attacked and subverted. The world witnessed the belittlement of the most successful popular democracy – that had spread freedom around the globe and that women and men have made the ultimate sacrifice to uphold. All trashed by Trump.
It was tragic and must stop.
The Donald Trump on display in the debate is the person the nation and the world has come to know all too well. There is no more to be learned by providing him another debate forum.
It should be clear, unfortunately, there is nothing the commission can do to get Trump to behave within acceptable or customary norms of decorum. The problem is not the formats the candidates’ campaigns agreed to. The problem is Donald Trump.
There is nothing to be gained from any further presidential debates for the remainder of the 2020 campaign.
Biden should, but for obvious campaign strategic reasons likely won’t, refuse to appear with Trump. But spare him, the next moderators and the American people any further indignity.
There is no pleasure or gratification in making this recommendation.
But, for the commission’s integrity, for the sake of the nation’s electoral process, cancel the remaining debates.
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