Voters may have been denied the opportunity to see President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump debate during their parties’ respective primaries, but thanks to some behind-the-scenes negotiations, and bad polls for Biden, suddenly general election debates are on. And voters are better off for it.

Just two months ago, when asked on the tarmac if he would commit to debating Trump, Biden said, “It depends on his behavior.” Trump, of course, has not suddenly changed behavior since then. He was, is, and always will be an incorrigible rapscallion you either love or hate. 

But something has changed in the last two months, and that something appears to be Biden’s numbers. Biden is losing, bigly, especially in key swing states. That is the only reason any incumbent proposes a debate, as Biden did earlier this week when he suggested one debate in June and another in September.

Within just a few hours, not only had Trump accepted Biden’s offer, but CNN agreed to host the June debate on the 27th, and ABC agreed to host the September debate on the 20th. It has since been reported that a back channel had been previously opened between senior aides of the two candidates and informal negotiations had been going on for weeks.

The June debate will be the earliest general election debate in presidential history, occurring before either contender has been named the presidential candidate at their parties’ respective conventions. For Biden, this may be strategic, as it should quiet any and all speculation that Democrats will replace him in Chicago.

The new debate schedule will also cut the number of debates close to Election Day. Under the schedule proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, there would have been three debates, all scheduled after Labor Day. Under the new schedule proposed by Biden, there will be only one post-Labor Day debate. Considering that whatever advantage a debate winner normally gains in the polls usually fades after just a couple of weeks, having fewer debates closer to Election Day is a win for Biden.

Biden also must be considered a winner for dictating much of the debate’s format. As the president is an easily disorientated old man, it is understandable why Biden insisted on not having a loud in-studio audience for either debate. Biden also secured two media outlets largely favorable to him and his campaign. CNN and ABC News are both famously anti-Trump, and whatever hosts the two media companies choose will no doubt do all they can to ask the most favorable questions of Biden and the most hostile questions of Trump.

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Considering just how biased the moderators will be, Trump should insist that moderators be forbidden from doing any live commentary or “fact-checking” during the debate. In 2012, CNN moderator Candy Crowley falsely fact-checked Mitt Romney after Romney correctly noted that President Barack Obama did not specifically call the attack on our embassy in Benghazi an act of terrorism in his Rose Garden speech the day after the attack. Such blatant bias by debate moderators is unavoidable, and CNN and ABC News are pro-Biden outlets, but Trump can minimize the damage done by this bias by insisting that moderators only be allowed to ask questions. Candidates can fact-check each other all they want. But no assertions of fact by third parties. Such a rule should make the debate at least a little fairer.

Trump’s continued success at the ballot box should disprove any notion that a functioning democracy does not contain a high element of theater. Trump, at heart, is an entertainer, and his continued polling and ratings success shows he is good at it. Voters should take these debates for what they are — infotainment — be thankful they get to see the two candidates compete in a live forum, and then make their best decision between them this November.