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Jim Geraghty posted in The Corner at National Review Online. Mostly, he is laying out the lame excuses for Biden to dodge the debate. I agree with how those are just excuses. However, I don't understand a couple of bits.
He quotes David Frum who :
argues that Joe Biden should decline to debate Donald Trump this autumn, urging the president and his team to issue a statement declaring: “The Constitution is not debatable. The president does not participate in forums with a person under criminal indictment for his attempt to overthrow the Constitution.”
Now, as far as I am aware, no one has been charged with an attempt to "overthrow the Constitution". I have no idea what it is that Trump did that was an attempt to "overthrow the Constitution". He certainly has not been charged with that by anyone. That would be an actual insurrection. I think Geraghty ought to spend a sentence noting that Frum's charge is baseless.
Second. Geraghty says:
Yes, Trump is a giant hypocrite for skipping the GOP primary debates and then turning around and insisting that Biden has “an obligation” to debate him.
Um, I thought the RNC demanded candidates sign a pledge stating they would not engage in debates with the Presidential Commission?
Beyond the fundraising and polling requirements, the RNC has said candidates must also sign the pledge agreeing to support the eventual party nominee as well as agreeing not to participate in any non-RNC sanctioned debate for the remainder of the election cycle. The RNC is boycotting events organized by the Commission for Presidential Debates, alleging bias.
Trump's response:
In addition to voicing opposition to the loyalty pledge, Trump has suggested he is opposed to boycotting general election debates hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates. “You have, really, an obligation to do that,” he said in a radio interview this spring.
I am not sure Trump can both be a hypocrite for refusing to sign that pledge and then calling for Debates now. Indeed, it seems to me that Trump is being consistent here with his statements from before.
What am I missing?
Discussion (76)
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Just ask Taras. Jim Geraghty is "Always Wrong."
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A lot of pointless pearl clutching and NT excuse making. I like Jim Geraghty. I find the Three Martini Lunch to be a passably good podcast and generally like his appearance's on the Editors; however, while he is less infected with rabid NT -ism, he does tend to buy the Democratic/ Elite Republican arguments about Trump's culpability for Jan 6 and what that means for the country. It is a pity actually.
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Jim's infection might not be rabid, but he didn't vote for Trump in the general either time and I don't expect him to this year.
When the podcast requested listener questions last year, I asked if Jim had any conservative news sources. When Abe was assassinated, Jim pedaled the Trump overfeeding koi story, which was debunked by conservatives within 24 hours of the media lying. Quoting David Frum doesn't help that.
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We have a president* using the Department of Justice to try and jail his opponent, buy votes with an unconstitutional student loan forgiveness ploy, refuses to defend the border, just for starters and "elite" Republicans think that Trump is the threat to the Constitution. This is a frustrating part of Jim's thought process. He always asks why Biden does the things he does when they don't make sense. Joe (and/or his handlers) hate the country as founded and want it destroyed. Try to keep up Jim. As was said about Obama, "Once you realize he's on the other side, it all makes sense.". I don't think Jim wants to pull back that curtain.
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I would love to ask a million questions to David Frum. Total establishment / statist tool. I'm sure it pays well. That's what happens to all those Republicans on MSNBC.
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