Yesterday, the Phil Scott campaign issued a press release proudly announcing a series of three debates with Democratic challenger Amanda Janoo. Good on him, I guess, for showing up three times — although he turned down at least two others, including the traditional opener at the Tunbridge Fair.

But the debates will be crammed into a single week, and the first won’t happen until October 21 — less than two weeks before Election Day.

By then, early voting will have been in progress for more than a month. And more than two months will have passed since Primary Day. Why such a long delay?

Here’s the lineup, including the ludicrous scheduling of debates on consecutive days:

• Wednesday, October 21, broadcast on radio and television by Vermont Public
• Thursday, October 22, broadcast on WPTZ-TV
• Wednesday, October 28, broadcast on WCAX-TV

It’s a gross disservice to the voters, especially to those most likely to vote early: people with demanding work schedules and/or families with children, people with disabilities or suppressed immune systems, the elderly, and people of color who might fear the threat of ICE enforcement at polling places. Many of them will cast their votes without the opportunity of seeing the two major candidates exchanging views in open debate.

The lateness of the debates will also minimize the chance of some surprising event influencing the rest of the campaign. Say, for instance, a strong showing by Janoo or a blunder by Scott. There will be little time for such an event to resonate with voters. And zero time for anyone who will have already cast their vote by then.

I can’t say for a fact whether Scott or Janoo is responsible for this, but I can make an educated guess. Think it through with me: Is it the challenger fighting to establish name recognition? Or is it the well-known incumbent fending off an evident erosion in popularity?

My money’s on the Gloria Swanson character from Sunset Boulevard, the guy whose job approval has plunged from 60-70% last year to the mid-40s now. The guy who’s six points short of a majority in the opinion poll most favorable to him.

Compared to Donald Trump in 2024, Scott is doing a terrific job in participating in debates. Compared to anyone else, it looks like he’s playing the old Four Corners offense: desperately trying to bleed the clock and praying for the game to end ASAP.