[Paladin2]

They should add an empty chair with a text to voice teleprompter to put out Zer0's pronouncements to be refuted by the GOP challengers.

Attack the real enemy.

[Erik Latranyi]

Gingrich suggested that Perry’s reluctance raises questions about his fitness for the fall campaign. “I don’t see how somebody can say that they can’t debate Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich or Ron Paul, but they’ll be ready to debate Barack Obama,” he said. “I think Governor Perry would find it an enormous mistake to not go to the debate and I think that frankly he’d look pretty silly.”

Gingrich nails it ---- again.

[Erik Latranyi]

If Perry skips a debate, it will look very bad for him, given his poor performance in the past.

Just raising this is a negative for him.

If he actually skips, stick a fork in him -— he’s done.

No offense to Perry supporters, but this is not the way to rehabilitate your campaign.

[hemogoblin]

Thanks for posting. Liberal-moderated debates need to start getting skipped. "The corn is never innocent in the court of chickens."

Here in SW Virginia, the GOP candidates skipped a forum last night given by the League of Women Voters. Which was great. The moderator was a Roanoke Times editorial genius, whom local readers will remember as the one who got all the state's CCW holders' names and addresses posted on the paper's website a couple of years ago.

Here's the story.

[Grunthor]

“Should more Republicans skip the debates?”

Why? So they can make Perry not look so bad? When your opponent is drowning, throw him a rope.

Both ends.

[traditional1]

I said a long time ago that ALL Republicans should avoid ANY State-Run-Media interviews, loaded-question debates, or other opportunities to forward their Agenda.

Let the State-Run-Media try to attack those who aren't there. ONLY Leftists watch their crap regularly, anyway.

[married21]

I think they need to practice, practice, practice. I don’t care if not so many people watch, but being able to articulate your position and refute others’ is very powerful and I would think that ambitious candidates would want that power.

[dforest]

Mary Catharine Hamm was just on FOX saying that she can understand not wanting so many debates, but it is far better to be a person who has performed well in the debates to bring this up.

I agree. Otherwise......it looks like cowardice.

[FreeReign]

When a credible candidate for significant political office...

I stopped reading right there.

[ZULU]

Clearly, Perry is not ready for prime time.

Aside from that, the debates have been an orchestrated attempt by leftist media wonks to form a circular firing squad of the conservative Republican candidates to weaken them all in the event they run against Obama and to stregthen the hand of the one candidate who is least likely to beat Obama, yet least objectionable to them should he actually succeed in getting nominated - Mitt Romney.

[DJ MacWoW]

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"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."

~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

[TomGuy]

Between 4 and 6 million have watched the debates. And probably most of that 4 to 6 million are the same viewers from debate to debate.

Most average people are not even paying attention, and they won’t until it is time for their state primaries.

So far, the debates have covered basically the same information. The first major debate (MSNBC, IIRC) tried to get the candidates chewing on each other, but it failed. The next debate (CNN, IIRC) did get them going after each other, and the next major debate (FoxNews, IIRC) had them going for the throats.

It makes good TV — for the debate programs and networks, but the debate now have little in the way of ‘new’ information about the candidates.

IIRC, some 20 debates are scheduled. Unless the format changes [1 minute to answer; 30 second to respond] in such a was as to cause something new in the debates, they are trampling over the same old ground, same old accusations, same old baggage.

The biggest boon to the debates will be when the field in narrowed down to about 3 probable candidates. Maybe then, they are will provide more depth.

[marty60]

There are 40 days till the first primary. I heard there are 16 more debates (stupid). Experts say it takes 2 days to prepare for a debate. so take 32 days out of the 40 and that leaves a candidate (8) EIGHT days to do personal campaigning.

The candidates would be stupid to attend all of the debates, actuallt trained seal shows, with liberals as the ring masters.

I agree with Perry, they do nothing but give the media some news spots. It’s called MANUFACTURED news. But hey, apparently that is what people want these days sideshows.

[Liberty Valance]

They aren’t debates. They are target practice/range time for the MSM and the dems.

[CharlesWayneCT]

It would have been a rational strategy if he had adopted it when he first entered the race. He could have said he wanted to work his way into the contest, that he still had duties in his state, and wanted to build a campaign team before he started actively campaigning.

Unless he has a great next debate, skipping any debates now, even if it makes sense, will raise all sorts of derision.

I think our entire team should have skipped some of those debates, and we should be running our own debates, with our own moderators, discussing issues we think are important, not what CNN wants to attack us about.

[Mr. K]

Newt and Herman Cain are having their own debate Nov 5 and I LOVE THAT

I hope it is more a meeting of the minds rather than beating up on each other because I think our dream ticket now is Cain/Gingrich

[blueunicorn6]

I think that we should always elect the best talker. It’s worked well the past couple of years.

[MNJohnnie]

Yes, anyone under 10% in the polls should just skip the debates to protest their “unfair” disadvantage in polling.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

It seems to be the general consensus that Perry did poorly in the debates. If he refuses to appear at future debates he will projecting an attitude of sour grapes. Withdrawing from the debates will give his candidacy the death blow.

[Paine in the Neck]

They shouldn't do any debates where the leftist press is gatekeeper over what gets talked about and who gets to talk.