House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has offered her candid recommendation that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden avoid engaging with President Trump on the debate stage altogether.
“I don’t think there should be any debates,” Pelosi said in a Thursday press conference. “I do not think that the president of the United States has comported himself in a way that anybody that has any association with truth, evidence, data, and facts. I wouldn’t — I wouldn’t legitimize a conversation with him.”
Pelosi’s argument was mainly that Biden would be dignifying Trump in accepting a debate challenge. She instead put the onus on the press.
“You could have,” she said, directly addressing members of the press. “You ask them any questions, both of them just take their own stage for any number of conversations about any subjects. Hold them accountable.”
Whether she meant it or not, the obvious implication is that Biden is a less suitable challenger to Trump than the press and that a glorified press conference, or something of a town hall, would do better by voters. The problem is that kind of event would fail to offer the primary advantage of a debate, which is that it places the candidates in the same room, something that rarely happens, and requires them to engage in real time. Debates demonstrate their contrasts in ways that barb-trading in the press cannot.
Pelosi’s advice comes during a week when Republicans have reiterated their criticisms of Biden as the basement candidate — the candidate of avoidance. For what it’s worth, some liberals have made at least an approximate criticism of Biden on the issue of recent riots and violence.
“I think this is a blind spot for Democrats,” CNN’s Don Lemon said to his fellow anchor Chris Cuomo. “What they can do — and I think maybe Joe Biden may be afraid to do it … He’s got to address it.”
Biden’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention was strong. It challenged notions that he seriously lacks mental acuity. A debate could further put those notions to bed. It could also do the opposite, and perhaps that worries Pelosi.
Whatever Pelosi’s worries, Trump reelection is surely one of them, and it is a real possibility. It’s a wonder that she actually thinks Biden should engage with him less.
