Republicans have lambasted the commission, which has facilitated presidential debates since 1988, for being biased in favor of Democratic candidates. Since its inception, the group has been responsible for imposing rules and choosing the moderators for debates. It only presides over presidential debates – primary debates are done separately.

Some have already speculated that future presidential debates might not be easy to organize without the CPD. The Hill reported:

But the big showdowns between the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees — as well as the customary single debate between vice presidential candidates — will become a lot harder to organize in 2024 and beyond.

The rules for any big debates will have to be agreed upon directly by the rival candidates and their campaigns.

However, concerns over the prospect of no presidential debates might be premature. In fact, it seems likely the CPD will still end up hosting the 2024 debates, despite the RNC’s actions. Indeed, it appears the GOP might be trying to establish the leverage it needs to ensure there is less bias during these events.

Regardless of what one thinks of the Republicans’ decision to withdraw from the CPD, it is tough to deny their reason for doing so. The fact of the matter is that the commission is biased and has been so for a long time.

The Hill noted a 2012 debate between former President Barack Obama and GOP candidate Mitt Romney, in which moderator Candy Crowley, a former CNN media activist, fact-checked the Republican nominee. Obviously, moderators like Crowley would never dream of doing the same to a Democratic candidate.

Of course, none of us can forget the brazen display of pro-Democrat bias that was on full display during the 2020 campaign. Former President Donald Trump entered the first debate expecting to face former Vice President Joe Biden. Instead, he ended up debating both Biden and moderator Chris Wallace, in what was one of the most egregious examples of bias ever seen in a presidential debate.

But this was not the only area in which the commission made it clear it favored Biden. The third presidential debate in any race is typically designated for a discussion about foreign policy. For some odd reason, the commission decided not to have the third debate between Trump and Biden center on foreign relations.

The reason why is obvious, isn’t it?

The CPD, and anyone with a modicum of common sense, knew Trump would wipe the floor with Biden in a discussion on foreign policy. To say that the Obama administration’s international performance was abysmal would be a compliment compared to how poorly he actually handled foreign policy. Biden was an integral part of the former president’s inept handling of international matters.

On the other hand, Trump’s foreign policy was far superior. He avoided getting the U.S. into new wars. His administration hammered out a slew of peace deals between Israel and her neighbors. He finally got NATO member nations to start paying their fair share. It is also worth noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t dare invade Ukraine while Trump was in office.

The commission changed the topic of the third debate to protect Biden, plain and simple.

“There has been growing dissatisfaction with the process, with the moderators, with the increasing bias among mainstream media for quite some time,” Matt Mackowiak, a GOP strategist and the chairman of the Travis County Republican Party in Texas, told The Hill.

“I think this is an example of the party trying to wrestle back control, or at least increase their leverage to demand certain changes,” he continued.

Mackowiak is right. Republicans are seeking only to have debates that are not unfairly biased in one direction, and this move seems intended to do just that. The RNC’s move will probably force the CPD to handle debates differently, which is likely why McDaniel and other Republican leaders decided to pursue this course of action. But even if the commission doesn’t want to address its bias, there are still other avenues through which presidential candidates can face off in debates. It might be a bit more challenging to go this route, but there is no reason why it should be impossible. To put it simply, there will still be presidential debates. Hopefully, the RNC’s move here will ensure less bias in the future.