If two people agree to a debate, but one of them participates in bad faith, and spends the majority of the time talking over the other, sidestepping virtually every point their counterpart makes, blatantly lies, employs personal insults and frequently airs irrelevant grievances, is it still considered a debate?
The correct name is “waste of time”
I know what you’re referencing, and I appreciate you keeping the question generic. To that end, I’ll keep my reply generic as well.
No, it’s not a debate; it’s a trap. If the good-faith participant agrees to the debate, it will go down exactly like you said.
If the one acting in good faith refuses to debate the bad-faith one (because they know that’s what they’re going to do), then the bad-faith one will just gloat that the good-faith person is a coward who won’t debate them.
Either way, the one acting in bad faith “wins”.
If the person judging the debate is a republican then absolutely.
If two people agree to a debate, but one of them participates in bad faith
That part was enough for me. Under these circumstances, not even a conversation can take place let alone a debate. Try to protect yourself from toxic people by not wasting your time with them. I know it’s easier said than done cause I’m trying to recover from a similar situation.
I think those are called “presidential debates” these days.