To the Editor:

David Axelrod offers a strategy, “Let Trump Destroy Trump” (Op-Ed, Sept. 12), but his discussion was short on specific tactics that the Democratic Party can use. One such tactic would be to refuse to debate President Trump.

We live in a time when longstanding norms have been smashed or set aside at unprecedented rates. The norm of holding presidential debates should be questioned by the president’s opponents.

The 2016 presidential debates devolved into name-calling and outright lying, leaving fields of detritus for the fact checkers to clean up, but the damage was already done. A Democratic National Committee decision to eschew these debates with Mr. Trump, deferring instead to media events with the individual candidates, will allow the primary candidates to campaign on their policies and individual abilities, not their macho characteristics. It will also deprive Mr. Trump of an opportunity to tear down opponents based not on substance, but on craft and stage presence — in other words, street fighting.

This will afford the public a better opportunity to cast their votes for the most qualified candidate based upon the issues.