It’s the new GOP campaigning style: do everything possible to avoid being forced to defend your extreme positions. By dodging the media and opponents they can continue pandering to the far right base, while avoiding the risk of having those extreme positions become common knowledge. It’s an implicit admission that they aren’t going to win over any centrists or undecided voters; they’re not even trying. And that’s probably a smart move politically, because every time someone like Sharron Angle or Rand Paul lets their real views slip out, their poll numbers take a dive.

Now we can add Steve King to the list of Republican demagogues who are afraid to debate their opponents: King says Democratic opponent hasn’t ‘earned’ debate.

SIOUX CITY - Political theater intruded into Iowa 5th District Congressman Steve King’s town hall meeting Monday when Democratic Party opponent Matt Campbell showed up and challenged King to a debate.

Campbell, who said King has ignored repeated requests for a debate, walked in midway through the hourlong meeting and stood about 10 feet from King’s podium. King finished answering the prior question about conducting an audit of the Federal Reserve System, then addressed Campbell, without naming him at any point in the exchange.

“There aren’t going to be any ambushes or interruptions,” King said from the podium at Western Iowa Tech Community College before allowing Campbell to ask his question.

After Campbell pressed King to agree to a debate, the Republican from Kiron, Iowa, replied: “…My answer to that is that judging by the way you have conducted yourself you have not earned it.”