Former Sen. John Danforth (R-MO), a longtime member of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), tore into President Donald Trump’s efforts to smear the commission as corrupt and biased on Tuesday.
I’ve had my differences with John but his logic here is unassailable!
“…Had I wanted to help the Biden campaign, the last thing on my mind would have been to restrain the technique President Trump exhibited in the first debate.”
‘Incalculable’ damage is what we will be dealing with for decades.
He warned that Trump accusing the debate organizers of bias as part of his crusade to delegitimize a potential defeat on Election Day “destroys public confidence” and “paves the way to violence in the streets.”
Trump didn’t get the inauguration crowd he wanted in Jan 2017, so if he loses he wants that violence in the street.
Danforth, huh…? Isn’t he the guy who gave us Clarence Thomas?
He has changed a bit since his retirement.
What doesn’t make sense: A virtual debate is to help Biden. But then most if not all of what *rump says does not make sense.
That’s the one.
He helped, anyway.
We can’t exculpate Bush himself.
Who cares anyways. Time for the debates to hit the dustbin of history. We’re long past a time where they held meaning. In the 24/7 media age, nobody is getting introduced to the candidates via these.
Cranky pants usually whines and complains until he gets his way. In this case he wants the format changed to what he sees as his advantage. But Danforth didn’t take da bait.
90
Minutes of talking about Trump’s foreign bank accounts, coming right up!
Danforth is talking to the wrong people.
And that ship has sailed long, long ago.
And when Moscow McConnell singlehandedly acquitted Trump last Winter, the “incalculable damage” was DONE.
He warned that Trump accusing the debate organizers of bias as part of his crusade to delegitimize a potential defeat on Election Day “destroys public confidence”
tRump and the fascistgop have been actively delegitimizing all of our democratic institutions. Their hope for maintaining permanent power depends upon it and they’ll never get a better opportunity now that they’ve stolen control of our courts.
Can you possibly imagine how little Trump cares about the damage he’s wrought, not just on the debate commission, but on the nation and world as a whole?
Those last two grafs: warning Trump that his critiques could destroy public confidence and lead to violence – that besides the CPD’s honor, his words could undermine faith in the fairness of elections – how tone-deaf is this guy? Those warnings aren’t potential, unappreciated consequences of Trump’s actions.They’re the whole point. Trump literally couldn’t care less about Americans’ faith in its elections, or the integrity of the election results.If he can manipulate them to win, he’s all for it. If it doesn’t work and he loses, but those institutions are destroyed in the process, who cares? If you’re a MAGAt, drunk on the Trump cult Kool-Aid, that’s one thing. But to pretend to be a public advocate for America’s electoral processes and institutions, and not realize by now that Trump doesn’t care one iota if the country falls because of him, that’s just mind-bendingly obtuse.
Give it back to the League of Women Voters. They won’t take shit from anyone, and I double-dog-dare any candidate to dismiss their concerns.
Damage, smamage. This guy is just waking up, is all.
John gave the MO Republicans a tongue lashing, at a funeral no less for one of his mentorees. John is old school Republican.
Now if only the other famous John, Ashcroft would have a talk with his son Jay our current Secretary of State.
No question – but there are things he did in DC that I still refuse to forget.
Horrible people.
Bad musicians, too.
for a second there I thought you were saying Jay Ashcroft was the US Secretary of State and I was thinking, “They come, they go, I must have missed this one.” 
“It is not the honor of the (fill in the blank) that is at stake here. What is at stake is Americans’ belief in the (fill in the blank) and, in turn, the (fill in the blank). When that faith is undermined, the damage to our country is incalculable.”
It’s been the entire strategy of this administration. Where ya’ been these last 4 years?