Tag: Debate

Commentary: Trump’s Coyness on Debate Participation All Part of His Grand Strategy

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Donald Trump

The first Republican primary debate of the 2024 presidential nominating cycle is set for one month from yesterday – on August 23, 2023. On that day, presumably, all major candidates for the GOP presidential nomination will assemble in Wisconsin to present their campaign pitches to the American public.

There isn’t an incumbent president in this year’s extravaganza, so it’s only natural that several hopefuls have expressed interest in a campaign. Deference is usually afforded a party president during his reelection run (as Democrats have announced there will be no debates on their side with senile Joe Biden currently in office), yet this year is different.

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GOP Presidential Hopeful Doug Burgum Rises in New Granite State Poll, Celebrates Donation Count

M.D. Kittle

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum sees his presidential prospects rising following the release of a new Granite State poll.

The GOP presidential hopeful, who is barely showing up in national polls, garnered 6 percent support in the University of New Hampshire’s latest poll of likely Granite State primary voters. That’s good for a fourth-place showing.

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Presidential Campaigns Push Fundraising Appeals Ahead of Critical Filing Deadline

M.D. Kittle

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign reminded supporters on Wednesday that the Democrat challenger to President Joe Biden is facing a “crucial deadline” on Friday. It will be the first time the presidential hopeful’s campaign donations will be made public.

In an urgent appeal for contributions, the Kennedy campaign disabused the notion that the Kennedy Family scion is running a “$100 million campaign.”

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GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Makes the Cut for the GOP Debates

M.D. Kittle

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has risen in the polls to a top 5 candidate. Now the Ohio businessman and political outsider has secured a spot on the Republican National Committee debate stage. 

In fact, Ramaswamy’s campaign crossed the RNC debate stage criteria threshold in May, several months before the debates are set to take place, according to the candidate’s camp.  

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Sparks Fly at Only Debate Before Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

M.D. Kittle

Two weeks to the day before a crucial election to decide whether conservatives or liberals control Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, the two candidates sparred in the only debate before Election Day.

The face-off Tuesday between far-left Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz and conservative former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly quickly took on the feel of bitter divorce proceedings — packed with allegations of corruption, scandals, and lies.

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RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel Will Not Participate in Public Debate with Challengers Harmeet Dhillon and Mike Lindell

Kaitlin Housler

Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel reportedly declined to participate in a live, public debate with her opponents, according to POLITICO.

McDaniel, seeking a fourth term as chair, cited her “existing commitment to a forum” that the RNC will hold regarding being absent from the live debate, the outlet reported Friday.

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Richard Blumenthal Runs from Grading the Economy in Debate with Leora Levy, Says It’s ‘Ongoing,’ Can’t Give It a Grade ‘Midstream’

Susan Berry, PhD

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sidestepped giving the economy a letter grade during his only debate with Connecticut Republican Senate candidate Leora Levy Tuesday night, but when pressed to do so by the panelist, he responded the grade is “ongoing,” and “I don’t think that we can give it a grade midstream.”

Levy, however, plainly answered, “I would grade the economy ‘F.’”

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Kari Lake Calls Out Arizona PBS for Giving Katie Hobbs a Standalone Interview

Neil Jones

Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake put local broadcasting company PBS on blast for allowing her Democrat opponent Katie Hobbs to have a solo interview on the station after refusing to debate Lake on stage.

“We just learned hours before airtime of tonight’s Clean Elections Commission [CEC] debate that PBS has unilaterally caved to Katie Hobbs’ demands and bailed her out from the consequences of her cowardly decision to avoid debating me on stage. As the CEC’s broadcast partner, PBS’ actions are a slap in the face to the commissioners of the CEC and a betrayal of their efforts to put on an actual debate,” Lake said in a statement emailed to the Arizona Sun Times.

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Commentary: Democrats Are Afraid to Debate GOP Opponents

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Americans have long since come to expect debates between candidates for major public office. For many voters, these encounters provide the only opportunity to see how competing candidates comport themselves in a venue that is nominally beyond their control. In close contests, these debates can sometimes be crucial to the final outcome. Yet, as the November midterms rapidly approach, many Democrats have been extremely reluctant to meet their Republican opponents face-to-face on a debate stage. Indeed, in several high-profile contests, they have flatly refused to do so.

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Minnesota Secretary of State Simon Calls Voter ID Laws ‘Draconian’ in First Debate

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The top candidates for Minnesota secretary of state squared off in their first debate Sunday night on WCCO Radio and the gloves came off almost immediately.

“My mission as secretary of state has been to protect the freedom to vote for every eligible Minnesotan. I’ve been proud to do that work with fairness, impartiality, and integrity, leading to results that we can all be really proud of,” said Secretary Steve Simon, a Democrat seeking a third term as Minnesota’s chief elections official.

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Accusations Fly Between Finchem, Fontes During Arizona Secretary of State Debate Focused on Voter Fraud

Rachel Alexander

Trump-endorsed State Representative Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley) faced off against Democratic former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes in a debate Thursday evening hosted by Clean Elections on KAET PBS. Most of the lively exchange focused on the candidates’ stark differences regarding voter fraud, with Fontes more dismissive and Finchem stating election integrity is a priority. 

Finchem said in his opening statement that he is running due to what’s happened to the office under the current officeholder, Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is running for governor. He said he wants to “restore honor, integrity, and security” to the position. “It’s not up to the secretary of state to make the law, they enforce the law that’s already laid down.” In addition to other controversies, Hobbs has been involved in a high-profile legal dispute with Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich for making changes to the state’s Election Procedures Manual that Brnovich asserts are outside of her authority.

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Kari Lake Blasts Opponent Katie Hobbs for Dodging Interview Regarding Refusal to Debate

Neil Jones

Kari Lake, Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, blasted her opponent Katie Hobbs for walking away from an interview questioning why she refused to debate Lake.

“The world is not an easy place, and if she can’t stand up and debate me, then she can’t stand up against the cartels, she can’t stand up against the forces that are working against the people of Arizona. She needs to show that she has courage and get on that stage,” Lake shared in a press release.

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Kari Lake Launches ‘Ask Me Anything’ Tour After Hobbs’ Refusal to Debate

Peter D'Abrosca

Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nominee says she will conduct a wide-ranging tour to answer voters’ questions while her Democrat opponent remains noticeably absent from the campaign trail. 

Kari Lake said in a video posted to her Twitter account that she is announcing an “Ask Me Anything” tour in response to Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’s refusal to share a stage with her, escalating what has been a one-sided war in that arena. 

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Walker, Warnock to Debate October 14 in Tight Georgia Senate Race

Just the News
Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker

Georgia incumbent Senate Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker have agreed to one debate before their Nov. 8 general election showdown.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Walker said Tuesday in a Twitter video. “I will see you there. Now you get a chance to tell us why you voted with [President] Joe Biden 96% of the time. And God bless.”

The televised debate was reportedly set after Warnock agreed to terms set forth by Walker, the former NFL star who played college football for the University of Georgia.

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Lake Rips Hobbs for ‘Safe Space’ Town Hall Proposal

Peter D'Abrosca

Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nominee laid into her Democrat opponent in a letter to the Citizens for Clean Elections Commission, claiming that the town hall proposed by that opponent is an unacceptable forum for the pair to meet on stage. 

Kari Lake has been calling on Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Democrat party’s nominee for Arizona’s highest office, to debate her. For weeks, Hobbs was silent. 

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Hobbs Refuses to Share Stage with Lake at Chamber of Commerce Forum

Peter D'Abrosca

At a Wednesday night Chamber of Commerce event, the Democrat Party’s nominee for governor of Arizona refused to take the stage with Republican nominee Kari Lake. 

“I was supposed to be up on stage with [Katie Hobbs] at this Arizona Chamber of Commerce forum. Instead, I’m watching from the Audience because she’s a coward. I’ll be speaking next, stay tuned!” Lake said on Twitter during the event. 

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Democrats Duck Debates with Pro-Trump Opponents Scorned as ‘Weak’ General Election Candidates

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In races scattered across the country, Democratic candidates are shying away from debates with Trump-aligned opponents — party nominees who have been widely dismissed by media and political elites as weak general election candidates devoid of crossover appeal.

Reuters, for example, opined in late July: “Republican voters’ embrace of fringe and divisive candidates is jeopardizing the party’s goal of taking control of the U.S. Senate in November’s midterm elections, as well as winning key governors’ races.”

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Hobbs Formally Refuses to Debate Lake in Arizona Governor Race

The Center Square

Democrat Katie Hobbs is refusing to debate Republican Kari Lake in their race for Arizona governor. 

In her response to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Hobbs’ campaign said the current secretary of state wouldn’t participate in something that will make Arizona “the butt of late-night TV jokes and national ridicule,” referring to the criticism the rowdy GOP primary debate garnered. 

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Epoch Times and Nashville Republican Women Hosted Unique Debate with TN-5 Candidates Beierlein, Ogles, and Wittum

Aaron Gulbransen

The Epoch Times, the Nashville Republican Women, Williamson County Young Republicans, and Davidson County Young Republicans hosted a unique debate on Tuesday evening with TN-5 candidates combat veteran Jeff Beierlein, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, and State Senate aide Tres Wittum participating.

Former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell was invited, but never confirmed her appearance. Kurt Winstead, confirmed his appearance but backed out at the last minute, organizers say.

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Epoch Times and Nashville Republican Women Host Unique Debate for TN-5 Candidates on July 12

Aaron Gulbransen

The Epoch Times, the Nashville Republican Women, Williamson County Young Republicans, and Davidson County Young Republicans are scheduled to host a debate with a unique format on Tuesday July 12 for the Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.

The Tuesday, July 12 debate will take place at the Landmark Auditorium located at 100 7th Ave N. #4 in Nashville, Tennessee. Doors open at 6pm and the debate will begin at 6:45pm.

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Epoch Times Editor-at-Large Roger Simon Promotes New Style of Debate in Partnership with Nashville Republican Women

Julie Carr

Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist and The Epoch Times’ Editor-at-Large Roger Simon in-studio to promote the upcoming debate hosted by the Nashville Republican Women and The Epoch Times happening June 12th in Nashville. Gulbransen: Roger, you’ve been working on something that should be really exciting and it’s a lot of fun. And so I’ll just let you talk about the debate you’re planning. Simon: Yes. I was just in the Big Apple, with a sour core these days, but I was at the headquarters of the people who employ me at The Epoch Times, which is, I have to say, the greatest outfit I’ve ever worked for. And I’ve worked for everybody from The New York Times to Warner Brothers. The Epoch Times is quite something. And if you don’t subscribe, you’re missing out on the best newspaper in the country right now, bar none. And what we’re doing is we’re setting up a debate here in the company of the Nashville Republican Women and my wife, Sheryl Longin, a new kind of…

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Law Student Government Rejects Free Speech Group Because Debate Can Cause ‘Real Harm’

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Emory Law School exterior

Article
Dig In
For the second time recently, Emory Law School in Atlanta is dealing with a controversy involving a student-run organization seeking to squelch debate in the name of preventing harmful speech.

Its Student Bar Association, the law school equivalent of student government, denied a charter to the Emory Free Speech Forum (EFSF) in part based on the “lack of mechanisms in place to ensure respectful discourse and engagement” at its events, such as a moderator.

This could cause a “precarious environment” and “potential and real harm” on fraught topics such as race and gender, “when these issues directly affect and harm your peers’ lives in demonstrable and quantitative ways,” the rejection letter said.

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Trump: If My Base Turns out to Vote for Youngkin, He Will Win Virginia Gubernatorial Race

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Donald Trump sitting at desk

Former President Trump said in an interview on Saturday that Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin will win if his base turns out to vote.

“I think he’s gonna do very well,” Trump said of Youngkin on Fox News’ “Justice with Judge Jeanine”.

Trump compared former Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s comment in a debate with Youngkin, saying parents shouldn’t tell schools what to teach their children, to Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” comment of Trump supporters during the 2016 presidential race.

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Raphael Warnock Refused to Say if He Supports Expanding the Supreme Court During Georgia Senate Debate

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by Chuck Ross   Democratic senate candidate Raphael Warnock refused to say during a debate Sunday whether he supports “court packing,” or adding seats to the Supreme Court. “As I move all across the state … people aren’t asking me about the courts and whether we should expand the courts,” Warnock said at the debate against Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican. “I know that’s an interesting question for people inside the beltway to discuss, but they are wondering when in the world they are going to get some COVID-19 relief,” added Warnock, a pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. Asked again by a debate moderator whether he supports adding seats to the court, he replied: “I’m really not focused on it.” Georgia senate candidate Raphael Warnock refuses to answer whether he supports packing the court: "I'm really not focused on it." pic.twitter.com/YQTCjeAW6W — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 7, 2020 Majority control of the Senate next year depends on the outcome of the Loeffler-Warnock race, as well as another race in Georgia between incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff. Republicans have asserted that, should Democrats take control of the Senate, they will enact a series of radical measures, including…

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Final Georgia Senate Debate Canceled After Perdue Drops Out

The Associated Press

A final debate between Republican Sen. David Perdue of Georgia and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff has been canceled after Perdue dropped out, saying he would attend a campaign rally with President Donald Trump instead.

The cancellation was announced Thursday night, a day after Perdue and Ossoff met for a bitter second debate in Savannah in which Ossoff slammed Perdue as a “crook” who downplayed the coronavirus pandemic. Perdue, who is seeking a second term, denied the accusation.

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Trump, Biden Debate Marked by Clashes, but Less Chaos

The Associated Press

After the first presidential debate was panned so widely that organizers introduced a mute button, Thursday’s second and final debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden was far more civil.

Whether because of that button or the terrible reviews — especially for Trump — the two interrupted each other far less frequently, even as they clashed on issues ranging from the coronavirus to crime.

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Commentary: Pence Can Win this Debate by Letting Ohio Know about Harris’ Record of Radicalism

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Vice President Mike Pence has a relatively straightforward job to do: help the American people understand the true nature of Senator Kamala Harris.

As the two meet on the debate stage in Salt Lake City, Harris is still introducing herself to a large portion of the electorate. The Biden campaign no doubt prefers it that way, because the Democratic vice presidential hopeful’s California-centric career offers relatively little that would appeal to most Americans in the Heartland.

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Trump’s Campaign Manager Says Debates Should Happen Before Early Voting Begins: ‘We Want Them Sooner’

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President Donald Trump’s campaign manager called Monday for more presidential debates, saying that they should begin earlier than planned.

During an interview with “Fox & Friends” Monday morning, Bill Stepien said that the current debate schedule, which is set to begin Sept. 29, will prevent voters in early-voting states from seeing the two candidates go head-to-head before casting their ballots.

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Sanders, Biden to Debate Without Studio Audience

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The last two major U.S. Democratic presidential candidates – former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders – are debating Sunday night in a world turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, seated in a Washington television studio without any people attending it. 

The two long-time politicians will be trading their thoughts – and likely more than a few barbs at each other – over two hours.  

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Commentary: Democrats and the Narcissism of Small Differences

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Eventually, I am going to get around to saying something about CNN’s hostility to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) – evidenced, most recently, by its energetic exertions on behalf of the campaign to elect Elizabeth Warren at last Tuesday’s Democratic debate. And I’ll say something, too, about the delicious exhibition of angst-filled hand-wringing that said hostility occasioned in many precincts of the leftwing media.

First, however, since CNN apparently undertook its cheerleading for Warren in order to declare its feminist bona fides, I would like to pose a few questions as a sort of prolegomenon, what Kierkegaard, in another context, called a “preliminary expectoration.” 1) Why are feminists so unpleasant? 2) Why do they insist on whining instead of getting on with the task at hand? 3) Why do they tend to blame other people for their failures?

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Ken Blackwell Commentary: President Trump’s Rally in Cincinnati Will Be the Perfect Tonic After the Democratic Debates

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The Democrat presidential candidates spent two full nights bickering on the debate stage over how best to dismantle the Trump economy and usher in a new era of social upheaval. President Trump, however, will only need one night to dismantle their deceitful claims and outline his plans for keeping the current economic boom going.

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Bredesen Misled Voters on Sexual Harassment Facts at Second Debate, GOP Says

Jason M. Reynolds

In the second U.S. Senate debate, Democrat Phil Bredesen continued to mislead voters on the facts, the Tennessee Republican Party said in a new video Friday. The video is available to watch here. U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) put former Governor Phil Bredesen on the defensive Wednesday night at the second debate between the two candidates, The Tennessee Star reported. Blackburn started out strong at the debate held in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee’s Howard Baker Center, and Bredesen never recovered. Bredesen claims there was just one “individual” where the investigation notes were shredded. But there were at least three high profile cases in which a member of his administration was named, the Tennessee Republican Party said in a statement. According to the Tennessee GOP, citing reports from The Tennessean, those people were: Mack Cooper, top lobbyist (Brad Schrade, “Investigator Shreds Notes in Bredesen Aide’s Demotion,” The Tennessean, 5/12/05) Quenton White, State Correction Commissioner (Brad Schrade and Christian Bottorff, “Prison Chief Quits Amid Scrutiny,” The Tennessean, 7/14/05) Dave Hensley, fundraiser and state employee (Brad Schrade, “Wife Kept Deputy Governor In Touch; He Remained A Channel For Promotion Requests,” The Tennessean, 2/26/06) Bredesen claims that the individual (presumably Cooper) was “gone the…

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