No Way Out

I read one Republican write that instead of stepping on his dick all the time Trump should be preparing for the presidential debates.

It was a good point. 

Trump doesn't know shit. He doesn't know a triad from a threesome. And he hasn't learned in a year of running for the presidency. The first debate is on September 26. That's enough time...Maybe. There is so much to know that I don't know if it's enough time for someone as unknowledgeable as Trump. Someone else, equally unknowledgeable, but without Trump's other traits: undisciplined, instinctive, unwilling to learn. He would have to cram, he would have to carve out so much time and he would have to be someone other than Trump. 

He is "scared" and "exhausted." I was that way before my first law school exam, in contracts. Got a "D." You are in no condition to learn if you have to cram and you're scared and exhausted. 

I betcha Trump has not even thought about preparing for the debates much less preparing for them. His thought so far has been limited to the schedule, two of the debates conflict with NFL games, and the moderators. He wants to negotiate on both. "I renegotiated the debates in the primaries, remember?"

The primary debates were run by each party. Each party selected the dates, times, moderators, formats. The parties made money off the primary debates. Each party had an interest in keeping its candidates happy. So you could negotiate. The debates in the primary were for-profit,with commercials and everything, for the networks. The networks had a financial interest--"They [the networks] were making a fortune on them..."-- in keeping the candidates happy. So you could negotiate.

The presidential debates are run by a non-profit, independent, bi-partisan entity, the Commission on Presidential Debates. Got their own logo and everything.

The debates are a non-profit public service, commercial-free. The parties don't make money off the presidential debates; the networks don't make money, nobody makes money. CPB chooses the dates, times, length, format, moderators for the debates. Has chosen the dates, times, length and formats. A year ago. I don't know if they've chosen the moderators. In response to Trump's desire to negotiate all these things CPB has said it has in the past negotiated the podiums to neutralize one candidate having a height advantage. The podiums. There was criticism an election or two ago, I forget, of one moderator, Candy Crowley of CNN. I don't remember how that turned out, if Crowley was nixed by CPD from moderating further debates but the point is CPD decides, the parties and candidates don't negotiate with CPD, they surely will listen to input from the parties and candidates but CPD decides.

With Trump saying he wants to "negotiate" the presidential debates like he did in the primaries does Trump even know the presidential debates are not like the primary debates: they are independently run and nobody is going to make "a fortune" off them, they are not-for-profit, and are thus insulated from "negotiation." One cannot negotiate on one's knees. 

The formats are set, have been set: one hour and one-half long, "two of the three debates involve several rounds of 15-minute open discussion periods." Trump is going to have to talk for extended
periods of time--without commercials giving him a chance to gather his thoughts-- not in short, angry, polemical bursts. The presidential debates will be moderated, controlled. Interrupting and insulting the other candidate--"Why do you lie?--will be kept as close to zero as humanly possible. That will not be subject to "negotiation."

The presidential debates will thus be similar to the lengthy interviews Trump gave to the New York Times, and Trump was exposed in those interviews. Similar in format and length to the Times interviews--except Hillary Clinton will be there, too. 

Scared.

Frustrated.

Exhausted.

Erratic.

Impulsive.

Trump has got 44 days after today, counting September 26.