Weekly Comments Archive
Archived Issue
Sunday, August 28, 2016
ISSUE #881
Will Rogers to Debate Trump

This Presidential campaign is degenerating into mudslinging and name calling. Some of the names they are calling each other, you need a dictionary to understand ‘em.  Often campaigns start on a “high plain”, but this one began “low” and has dropped so deep you have to dig a mine shaft to catch a glimpse.

I promised last week to challenge Donald Trump to a debate. He hasn’t found anyone else to practice on, so I’ll assume he is considering my offer. Whether my experiences and positions on issues will help him prepare for Clinton, I got my doubts. They both have Ivy League diplomas, so my tenth grade education will have to be supplemented with common sense.

My experience with air travel started on U.S. Airmail planes whereas Trump has his own 767, and Clinton spent all four years as Secretary of State on an airplane, only getting off to write emails and visit with Clinton Foundation donors.

I went bankrupt only once, and I worked my way out of it by giving entertaining lectures in 90 towns in 90 days, traveling mainly by train and Model T Ford. If that don’t seem like work to you, go ask any professional speaker. Trump went bankrupt four times (that he admits to), and seemed to get out of it by borrowing more money. The Clintons were dead broke 15 years ago and gave enough speeches to have $200 million in the bank. If I got paid as much as they did for every speech I’d probably have $300 million.

So Donald, I’ll look for your response. You can contact me through my website: WillRogersForPresident.com.

Historic quote by Will Rogers: (This is Will Rogers’ debate challenge in 1928. As you read this, replace Hoover with Trump, and Al Smith with Hillary Clinton.)

“Mr. Herbert Hoover it just looks like the only way we can get the “Issues” of the day straightened out is on the Platform in a Joint debate.

You know the American custom is when you can’t beat a man at anything why the last straw is to Debate him.

There is just millions of Guys I wouldn’t waste a Debate on. But in the natural course of events it looks like I am going to have to take you and Al Smith on before the votes are in the can this fall. So I thought I would start in with you and see how I made out, and if I had any luck against you why then I would take on Al.

So I will meet you anywhere in joint debate — in any Joint you name.

Now the rules of the Debate are as follows: the first half of the debate is to settle on what the Issues are, and the last half of the Debate is just to Debate on ’em. In case there is no Issues, like it would be if you was debating with some Democrat, why then of course there would be no use holding the last half.

Now, you got by without a lot of Bunk. And the debate might be that you ought to be in my Party, “The Anti-Bunks.” But you let yourself be hitched to a Platform that is nothing but Bunk. As a man is known by the company he keeps, I will show you that, now that you have entered Politics, you will be mixed up with more Bunk than you ever thought existed.

You say that “Prohibition [of alcohol] is a Noble Experiment.” I would say that it was an “Amusing” or “Exciting” experiment, but it has hardly reached the “Noble” stage.  Then there is Farm Relief, Tariff [free trade issues], and all of the usual Bunks, and I will debate you on those too. For the debate we will charge admission and the money goes to a good Charity.

They tell me that Lincoln and Douglas had a debate one time, and they say Douglas won it, so even if I lose and just become as well-known as Lincoln why it won’t be so bad.

Now Herbert, you’ve got to debate with somebody before this Dog fight ends in November and it might as well be me.

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