Biden should debate Trump. Nancy Pelosi is so very wrong to suggest otherwise.

Follow think More from NBC© 2020 NBCNEWS.COMYou’d think that Democrats, especially a savvy pol like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would have internalized a basic rule of campaigning: Don’t hand your opponent a baseball bat to hit you over the head with.But that’s just what Pelosi did Thursday with her nutty suggestion that her party’s presidential candidate refuse to debate Donald Trump because doing so would “legitimize” any appearance with what she sees as an undeserving president.Pelosi’s suggestion plays right into the Republican narrative, voiced repeatedly at the GOP convention this week, that the Biden campaign wants to keep its candidate away from the public.“I don’t think there should be any debate,” Pelosi said at a press conference. Of course, even if they do their jobs well, journalists who call out a candidate during a debate should expect to be accorded as much shame as fame.A better suggestion from Pelosi would be that reporters moderating the debate be encouraged to fact-check the candidates on the spot.In 2012, CNN’s Candy Crowley was the target of scathing criticism — mostly from Republicans — when, during the second debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, she correctly pointed out that the GOP candidate had misstated Obama’s initial reaction to the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi.But putting a lot of pressure on journalists to do their job well is a whole lot better than depriving the American people of debate.And frankly, if Pelosi really wants to scuttle the debates, this suggestion just might do it.Steven A.