Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders agree to debate each other

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I think this will help Bernie the most. The attention could help him win California. Itā€™d also be a slap to Clinton who decided not to debate Bernie before California. Trump would gain for the reason. Kicking Clinton is a win for Trump.

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ā€¦Iā€™m half expecting this to go full ā€œEpic Rap Battlesā€. And Iā€™d be okay with that.

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Does Donald trump look at everything and gauge the profit margin?

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I think thatā€™s right. Assuming Trump is serious the debate will probably be Trump playing nice with Bernie. Trumpā€™s objectives are to help Bernie in the polls (to hurt Hillary) and to sway the Bernie Bros to come over when Bernie drops out.

It will be awkward for Bernie to attack a guy trying to be nice to him.

Other than Trump playing nice I suspect the entire coverage of the debate would focus on the portion where Trump attacked Clinton.

If Bernie defends Clinton too strongly heā€™s seen to be conceding the race and acting as her surrogate.

If heā€™s neutral or actually backs Trumpā€™s attack then he starts to look underhanded and opportunist.

I think Bernieā€™s best play is to spend the whole debate acting as a brutal attack dog against Trump, constantly bringing up Trumpā€™s baggage, hounding him for an answer, and keeping him on the defensive. No one has really done that in a sustained manner yet and Sanders really does have nothing to lose if it backfires.

I prefer Hillary, but if Sanders does the debate I really hope he goes on the attack and decimates Trump.

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Oh come on. Sanders is done. This will do nothing except amplify Trumpā€™s message. I think Sanders is adopting the GOP ethic where making sure your opponent loses is just as important as winning yourself.

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if Sanders does the debate I really hope he goes on the attack and decimates Trump

Trump went after the biggest sacred cow there is - hero war veterans - and it only further propelled him upwards. What on Earth can Sanders possible do to harm Trumpā€™s public perception when even an attack on veterans doesnā€™t hurt him? McCain supports Trump now, ferchrisakes!

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I donā€™t know which is sadder, that or when McCain hired the same hit squad (Karl Rove & Co.) who trashed him when he was running against Bush for the nomination in 2000.

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You have to pay Trump to take up debate he knows heā€™ll lose.

When you need to get elected in Arizona, I guess you have to appeal to the same people that keep voting for Arpaio.

Principles, sminchiples.

Has Lindsay Graham endorsed Trump yet?

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UPDATE: From CBS: ā€œMultiple sources told CBS News Thursday morning, however, that the presumptive nominee [Trump] was just kidding about debating Sanders ā€” it will never happen, they said.ā€

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Christ, what a cowardā€¦

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Talking about war veterans is also one of those weird political theatre acts where every candidate gets all solemn, respectful, and uncritical because thatā€™s what youā€™re supposed to do. Trumpā€™s shtick is violating sacred cows and his McCain attack was probably his best one, it signalled him as an outsider and something different without creating any real vulnerability.

But Trump has said and done a lot of other things that arenā€™t just sacred cows. Bernie could actually explain why banning Muslims is a stupid idea. He could hold Trumpā€™s feet to the fire on his contradictions.

Heck, if Trump throws up some Clinton dirt from the 90ā€™s Bernie could counter by mentioning the time that Trumpā€™s ex-wife accused Trump of a violent rape.

One candidate bringing up a rape accusation in the middle of a debate is pretty unusual, but itā€™s a really credible charge and hard for Trump to defend. Sanderā€™s doesnā€™t have a lot to lose at this point, I think it would be worth the risk.

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Ha ā€“ that didnā€™t take long.

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No he couldnā€™t. Everybody knows about them but nobody cares about his contradictions.

Trump will come up with some stupid nickname (maybe old man Sanders) and that will be the only thing that sticks after the debate is over.

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Sometimes I wonder if Trumpā€™s entire election bid was meant as a ā€œjust kidding!ā€ thing that got way out of hand.

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Donald ā€˜Trumpismoā€™ Drumpf is capable of saying things that would make Bernie Sanders bleed through his forehead.

As @Chesterfield suggests above, this is a no-win for Bernie and by agreeing to this debate he is failing to heed an important dictum in politics: never wrestle with a pig.

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Thereā€™s plenty of loathsome conservatives with money in Hollywood.

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Maybe he agreed because he knows itā€™ll never happen.

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