I don't think so, if you mean by law, or something. It has been a tradition. Most famously the Lincoln-Douglas debates, JFK-Nixon, and Reagan-Carter. On the latter two historians agree that the debates turned the tide of the elections. Reagan was way behind Carter, in August, double digits in the polls, but he smoked the hapless Carter in the debates.
I don't think anyone believes that the debates alone determine the ultimate outcome of elections, but they have changed the momentum. And I think Trump will win in November after he crushes the mindless Biden in the 3 scheduled debates. Biden won't be able to hide behind the lying media, which right now is protecting him.
Keep in mind that political parties are private organizations. They can do as they please in selecting their candidates and how those candidates conduct their campaigns. For the Dems trying to push a comatose Biden across the finish line, avoiding the debates, where their guy would actually have to step up and be out there alone, is sound strategy. The only question is how would undecideds react to it? Would they hold Biden accountable, as in, he can't even handle a simple debate, how is he supposed to stand up to Putin, the Chicoms, NK, etc... I can save them the trouble, Biden can't/won't stand up to our enemies. He'll do like his former boss, obummer, kowtow to 'em.
Oh, there is a flip side to the debate question. We all know that we often determine if an outcome is good or bad as judged against our expectations. For instance, if some little school football team was going to play a powerhouse, like a Bama, most fans would say, Oh my! this is gonna be a slaughter, 100-0! But, if the final score is something like 42-20, even though the little school still lost, as measured against expectations, many would say, hey! Little School did great! Good job!
Well, if Biden can just avoid getting slaughtered in the debates, because that will be the expectations, he can actually gain a measure of respect and probably sew up his victory in November.
We also know that Biden's handlers will coach him up! They will have him as prepared as possible, and I'm sure, school him into NOT adlibbing. Stick to the script! No matter what the question is, just use one of the three carefully rehearsed answers. Of course, if CNN hosts one of the debates, they'll give Biden's team the questions ahead of time.
Now, does Trump have any chinks in his armor re: the debates? Yes. Trump is Trump. He tends to go off on tangents and is prone to exaggerate. Most intelligent people brush off his exaggerations as mere rhetoric, and focus on what he means. But the Left is devoid of common sense. I remember when ESPN did a special report on Rattay-Edwards, the reporter started the piece by saying, "This quarterback-receiver duo has accounted for a gazillion yards..." Intelligent people knew not to take him literally on the "gazillion" comment, he simply meant, wow! they have thrown for a bunch of yards. Trump uses such references a lot. Sometimes, I cringe when he does, not that I don't know better, but most of the voting populace is not like me...armed with tons of facts. The lamestream media will do its level best to draw the low-information crowd, i.e. viewers of CNN & MSNBC, to those points of exaggeration and try to cast them as "lies." Did that ESPN reporter lie when he said "gazillion yards?"
Anyway, that is both sides of the coin re: the debates. I am FAIR & BALANCED, and I understand all the possibilities that exist.
One question for Marxist on here, how are you going to increase your take home pay or standard of living with the vote for the Democrats?
Hah! Trump has learned to be careful using superlatives. This morning, live on FOX, he was speaking of reopening schools and said, children are totally immune from the effects of the virus...then he stopped and said... well, I shouldn't say totally, I'll get in trouble saying totally, so I'll say virtually immune from the effects of the virus.
It is what I, and others, have been saying from the very beginning, if Trump would simply clean up the rhetoric he'd have much greater support in the polls and in popular opinion. Too many, WAY too many, people are hung up on his Tweets and such, and fail to recognize all the great things he has done for America and Americans. But voters also tend to have short memories, so if he starts now, most voters won't even remember they once denounced him for it.
Some on this board need to just send their money to the government, and it’s their money. But, making that decision for the rest of us that has worked hard and made sacrifices to have a chance to retire in a manner we planed for do not want to pay for anymore dead weight. Can not believe that we actually graduated any one with that little logical thought.
Yes...we have discussed this before, Trump has been spending a bunch. It is a concern. There are reasons...as I have mentioned many times, like rebuilding the military. You can disagree with some of that spending, or all of it, but at least we can actually see it! I want to see a curtailing in spending, and the deficit addressed first. Can't do a thing about the debt until the annual deficit is turned around.
obummer added $10 trillion to the debt in 8 years. I have yet to see anyone be able to point to ....??????? What? Show me something tangible where the money went.
I hope that Trump will turn his enormous energy and prowess into dealing with the deficit/debt.