cover of episode Presidential Debates: Yay or Nay?

Presidential Debates: Yay or Nay?

2023/8/2
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亚
亚历克斯·谢泼德
唐
唐纳德·特朗普
罗
罗娜·麦克丹尼尔
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唐纳德·特朗普：特朗普认为自己民调领先，参加辩论对自己不公平，因为对手的民调支持率很低，参加辩论会让低支持率的对手有机会向自己发难。他认为，由于自己民调领先，没有必要参加辩论。 罗娜·麦克丹尼尔：共和党全国委员会主席麦克丹尼尔认为，除非辩论委员会满足共和党的诉求，否则共和党将抵制即将到来的总统辩论。这表明共和党对现有的辩论规则和流程存在不满，认为这些规则和流程对共和党候选人不利。 亚历克斯·谢泼德：谢泼德认为，共和党长期以来一直抱怨总统辩论暗中偏袒民主党，并试图阻止事实核查在辩论中的发展。他认为，共和党对总统辩论的反对与他们对主流媒体的抱怨如出一辙，他们认为主流媒体存在偏见。谢泼德还分析了总统辩论的历史演变，指出辩论的重点已经从政策讨论转向了人物性格和口才比拼。他认为，在高度党派对立的时代，总统辩论的必要性降低了，现有的辩论模式倾向于共和党候选人，因为主持人不愿表现出对某一方的偏袒。他建议取消观众，改变主持人方式，以及邀请专家参与，以改进总统辩论。他还指出，总统辩论缺乏对气候变化的报道是一个问题。最后，他认为总统辩论是美国政治制度失败的症状，而不是原因，共和党可能退出总统辩论提供了一个废除总统辩论的机会，这将是一件好事，因为现有的总统辩论已经变得肤浅且平庸，更多地服务于有线新闻而非美国人民。 亚历克斯·谢泼德: 他认为，共和党长期以来一直抱怨总统辩论暗中偏袒民主党，并试图阻止事实核查在辩论中的发展。他认为，共和党对总统辩论的反对与他们对主流媒体的抱怨如出一辙，他们认为主流媒体存在偏见。谢泼德还分析了总统辩论的历史演变，指出辩论的重点已经从政策讨论转向了人物性格和口才比拼。他认为，在高度党派对立的时代，总统辩论的必要性降低了，现有的辩论模式倾向于共和党候选人，因为主持人不愿表现出对某一方的偏袒。他建议取消观众，改变主持人方式，以及邀请专家参与，以改进总统辩论。他还指出，总统辩论缺乏对气候变化的报道是一个问题。最后，他认为总统辩论是美国政治制度失败的症状，而不是原因，共和党可能退出总统辩论提供了一个废除总统辩论的机会，这将是一件好事，因为现有的总统辩论已经变得肤浅且平庸，更多地服务于有线新闻而非美国人民。

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Chapters
Donald Trump leads in polls but questions the fairness of participating in the Republican presidential debate, citing his significant lead and the potential for unfair questioning from lower-ranked opponents.

Shownotes Transcript

According to a New York Times-Siena poll released this week 54 percent of republican voters said if the election were held today they would vote for Donald Trump. DeSantis trails by 37 percentage points and the others in the field are in single digits. 

Despite, (or because of?) his solid lead, Trump is wavering on whether he will show his face at the first Republican presidential debate set for August 23rd. As he told Maria Bartiromo on Fox;

“You’re leading people by 50 or 60 points, you say, why would you be doing a debate? It’s actually not fair. Why would you let someone who’s at zero or one or two or three be popping you with questions?”

Trump’s debate snubbing is just the latest example of the GOP resistance to a longstanding political norms. refusal by Republicans to meet political norms.

Last year Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, wrote a letter to the commission on presidential debates, the independent, bipartisan organization that has convened general election debates since the 80s. In her letter, she said that the RNC would boycott the presidential debates during the upcoming election cycle. That is, unless the commission was willing to meet its demands.

Between the RNC’s demands and now the potential absence of the Republican front-runner the question is; what, if anything, would be lost if the presidential debates didn't happen? Brooke spoke to Alex Shephard - senior editor at The New Republic, last year after he wrote an article titled, Let the Presidential Debates Die.

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