There’s a reason why the Sanders campaign agreed so quickly to the debate. Sanders’ only hope to prevail over Clinton at the Democratic convention involves winning California (where he’s several points behind in recent polls) and then somehow getting all of the Clinton-pledged superdelegates to flip to him. It’s highly implausible, but not impossible.

How can Sanders make it less implausible? By demonstrating in what would be the most widely watched primary debate in American history that he is, in fact, what he continually claims to be: the strongest person to take on Trump in the general election. This impression would be reinforced not only by Clinton’s absence from the stage but even more so by the torrents of abuse that both Trump and Sanders would direct at her, unanswered, for the entire length of the event…

If I were Clinton’s campaign manager, I’d already be planning to refuse to debate Trump in the fall. Sure, Trump would spew a toxic cloud of misogynistic taunts her way for the decision. But wouldn’t that be preferable to standing on a stage opposite a man who accuses her to her face of murdering Vince Foster, enabling her husband’s serial infidelities, and who knows what else?

The answer ought to be obvious. Unless, that is, Sanders has already debated Trump, in which case Clinton’s refusal would look horrible.