Under normal circumstances, the debates would help highlight each candidate's approach to varying topics to help people better understand who they want to vote for.
Trump's intentional unwillingness to abide by the debate rule makes it little more than a middle school kids insult match.
Grammatical question: if it is the sea level rising that is causing the "sinking", is it really sinking? The land itself is not moving. If I sit in a bathtub and turn the water on, the water rises within the tub. I don't start sinking.