(LibertySociety.com) – The 2024 election season is finally underway, with fundraising and campaigning picking up speed. While much focus is on the Republican presidential primary elections, Democrats were recently asked to weigh in on whether President Joe Biden should debate former President Donald Trump. According to The Hill, some raised concerns about voters’ feelings regarding Biden’s age and how opting out of debating Trump could fuel Republican criticism. Others were concerned about putting Trump center stage, citing his unpredictability. Trump has expressed his excitement about going head-to-head with Biden but has skipped out on every Republican primary debate thus far.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois said that he would “think twice about it,” recalling Trump’s behavior at a 2016 debate with Hillary Clinton. According to The Hill, Democrats are banking on Trump’s campaign falling apart due to his legal woes, which include 90 felony charges. Some members of the party believe it isn’t worth legitimizing Trump as a candidate and giving him a platform due to his history. The outlet also reported that Democrats know how voters feel about Biden’s advanced age and worry that it could affect his debate performance. Although they believe he prevailed in both 2020 general election debates, this time could turn out differently. Biden is currently 81 years old, while Trump is 77.
Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., made clear that he was not speaking on behalf of Biden’s campaign but argued that Trump’s refusal to appear at Primary debates could serve as a “strong case” not to share the stage with him. Coons recalled his attendance at the first debate between Trump and Biden in 2020. He claimed that Trump did not follow the rules of the debate and lacked decorum. Coons also cautioned about assuming that Trump would be the GOP nominee, as the primary elections have not yet taken place. Democratic strategist Jim Carville indicated it might look bad if Biden doesn’t debate Trump, and he mentioned that three general election debates have already been scheduled. He said that pollsters would soon be asking voters if Biden should debate Trump and predicted that nearly 75 percent would vote in favor. Steve Jarding, another Democratic strategist, suggested that it might benefit Biden to take to the stage and tout the successes of his administration, including low unemployment, lower inflation, and lower gas prices.
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