We’ve grown used to the campaign routine. There are some intraparty debates, followed by the primary elections. Then a few general-election debates, after which Americans vote for their favorites.

Presidential elections have been run this way since 1976, when President Gerald Ford agreed to three debates with rival Jimmy Carter. But, after a nearly five-decade run, debates might be a thing of the past.

Well before this year’s voting began, Donald Trump proudly refused to debate his GOP rivals. Earlier this week, Iowa Republicans rewarded his intransigence with 51% of their votes, compared to 21% for Ron DeSantis and 19% for Nikki Haley.

In other words, voters punished the other contenders for defending their ideas before other candidates and the press. How dare they?