History and tradition.....these debates and their whole process are clearly in my lifetime a historical development....starting with League of Women Voters morphing into some quasi party deal and developing as an independent non profit organization that teaches folks worldwide about our elective process...which Frank Farenkopf identified in the pre debate period...

I think respecting these traditions and enduring some clearly totally unnecessary garbage is preferable to ducking.... If candidates can "choose" to attend or not....you have messed with the integrity of the system......

I don't like Trumps behaviour any better than you do....but Hillary's a big girl....and she has and WILL Be dealing with far tougher stuff than Trump......