As of this Thursday morning time period, the irrepressible Donald Trump is still committed to boycotting the last Republican debate before next week’s Iowa caucuses.
Ironically, a few days ago it crossed my mind that if Trump was the Republican presidential nominee and Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primaries, it would be a unique and powerful move on her part to refuse to submit herself to the three debates in which presidential finalists feel obligated to participate.
Not so unique any longer, and Trump’s refusal to perform tonight gives her a credible rationalization for a boycott of her own in October.
When I was a commissioned salesman selling oil paintings in a Newport, RI, art gallery, we had a mantra: “everything to gain and nothing to lose.”
This applied to the final part of a negotiation with a customer on the price of a painting. As he was walking out the door we’d hit him with a crazy price: “Take it right now, fifty bucks,” or something to that effect. You wouldn’t believe it, but three out of ten times he’d turn around and buy the painting.
So by throwing out that price we had nothing to lose, because a painting is more often than not an impulse buy and the customer was gone anyway, but we had everything to gain if that technique made the sale possible.
The flip side of everything to gain and nothing to lose is “everything to lose and nothing to gain.”
Right now Donald Trump may or may not win the Iowa election, but most polls show him in the lead. He will be under a relentless attack if he appears at this debate because his opponents will have nothing to lose by attacking him. There’s no way for him to know whether or not something that transpires will hurt his chances.
He has everything to lose and nothing to gain by showing up tonight.
Hillary Clinton now wants more debates because Bernie Sanders is surging in the polls. Prior to this the Democratic debates were held on weekends opposite the NFL and “Downton Abbey.” This was supposed to benefit her, but it turned out that wasn’t the case.
Bernie Sanders has everything to lose and nothing to gain by taking part in another debate, so it’s in his best interests to refuse.
I don’t think Bernie Sanders will even come close to winning the nomination, so if Hillary is the nominee she could and should force Trump to debate with himself. She could simply say he’s an idiot with no platform or policies, and that she refuses to subject herself to his sexist insults.
By the time the debates come along, Trump will be so far behind in the polls he’ll be desperate. Who knows what he’ll say? He may even top some of the lunatic comments he’s made so far.
Hillary will have everything to lose and nothing to gain by participating in a debate.
Of course the media will go out of their minds because these debates are great for ratings and making money from sponsors.
But picking a president based on performance at a debate or two, when you come right down to it, is totally absurd. Who knows—a stopped clock is right twice a day, and Donald Trump may have started something positive. Wonders never cease.
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