Again, its because only dems hold their candidate to any standards. Youre right, because debates can really only hurt dems – if they perform badly – and dont really help much if they perform well. So what point is there in doing them? But I think Dem voters like to see a good debater defend dem ideals in a debate setting. Its reassuring to see a candidate think on their feet and reinforce that they believe in and can adequately defend the ideals and policies we want. I think its also good to give us a chance to re-evaluate if we dont like the performance or outcome of the debate. Had Kamala won, this entire conversation would be happening under a completely different context where we see the value in being critical of our own candidate and making a change. Obviously it didnt turn out that way this time, but thats how it goes in the real world. Sometimes you lose even if you made good moves.