Why did Mitt Romney decide against attending the Trump debate?
He explained his decision to Fox News’ Neil Cavuto yesterday, “I told him at this late date and with the other debates we have scheduled, and with the number of requests, by the way, there are several other, five or ten other debate requests we have had for December and January and we cannot do them all so we try to do a couple a month.”
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Romney it appears, graciously declined, which might spare him from Trump’s famous derision.
Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul also refused to attend, but used the opportunity to score a few political points.
Ron Paul, who already had a chip on his shoulder from CPAC after Trump said he “couldn’t win,” said that the debate was “circus-like” and “beneath the office of the Presidency.”
Huntsman also declined, refusing to “kiss his ring” or “kiss any other part of his anatomy.”
“Few people take Ron Paul seriously and many of his views and presentation make him a clown-like candidate,” Trump responded in a statement to the New York Daily News. “I am glad he and Jon Huntsman, who has inconsequential poll numbers or a chance of winning, will not be attending the debate and wasting the time of the viewers.”
Delighted Democrats are exploiting the chaos and Trump’s active role in it. “I would say it’s a circus. but I took my son to see the circus earlier this year and I thought it was a wonderful thing.” former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs joked on MSNBC yesterday.
Currently, only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum has agreed to attend the debate. Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann have yet to respond to the debate invitation.
It should be noted that the “Trump debate” is actually the Newsmax ION debate scheduled for December 27 in Des Moines, Iowa. Donald Trump will be a moderator.
