Romney to skip Trump debate

[Beet]

I don't think skipping this debate is the right decision.

During the last Nigerian Presidential election, a friend of mine who'd witnessed the event said that the opposition candidate found the debate unfair somehow and boycotted the debate. The result was that Goodluck Jonathan had the stage entirely to himself and just spoke the entire time. It was basically an hour of unrefuted, free advertising, handed to him by his opponent. By skipping the debate, it may allow the candidate to score a few feel-good points against Donald Trump, but that isn't the point now. The point is to build up as much momentum as possible leading up to the Iowa caucus, and that means fighting tooth and nail for every bit of oxygen that you can get your lungs over.

A Gingrich-Bachmann-Santorum debate could be just the ticket for the shift in dynamics that I've been predicting. With only those three on the stage, Bachmann and Santorum will have the perfect opportunity to attack Gingrich as being to their left, and show themselves up as the true conservatives. They'll each be allotted a third of the speaking time! Gingrich will occupy the left-wing position the entire debate. Without Romney, it's not worth it for Gingrich to participate.

[Beet]

Jonathan refused to participate in debates organized by prviate media pools and only accepted the debate run by Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), a government front association for state media. Obviously they were in his pocket. The point is, the opposition candidates had just as good reason to boycott the debate, as anyone has of boycotting Donald Trump.

Yet it was a mistake.

By shunning the debate, they deprive themselves of free air time at a critical moment when the number of people paying attention will be at its maximum.