Conservative author William F. Buckley, Jr. (1925-2008) began his Firing Line television show of political interviews in 1966. When asked in 1967 why Robert F. Kennedy, a liberal, didn’t appear on the show, Buckley reportedly replied:
 
“Why does baloney reject the grinder?”
 
“Baloney” is slang for “nonsense.” “Why does (the) baloney reject/avoid/fear the grinder/slicer?” is recalled whenever someone avoids a tough interview or a debate.
 
 
Wikipedia: William F. Buckley, Jr.
William Frank Buckley, Jr. (November 24, 1925 – February 27, 2008) was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for extensive vocabulary.
   
Google News Archive
14 April 1967, Vancouver Sunday Sun, Les Wedman column, Leisure, pg. 7:
That Wiliam Buckley show mentioned recently is available on Channel 7 at 3 p. m. this Sunday. It’s called Firing Line, which gives a good indication of what happens when Buckley meets his chosen target for the week.
 
For instance, when asked why Senator Robert Kennedy would not go on his program, Buckley is supposed to have replied “Why is the baloney afraid of the meat grinder?”
 
Google News Archive
1 November 1967, Sumter (SC) Daily Item, “Buckley On Cover Of TIME Magazine,” pg.1, col.3:
When asked why he thought Sen. Robert F, Kennedy has declined to appear on his TV show, Buckley replied, “Why does baloney reject the grinder?”
     
Google Books
Name Dropping:
Tales from my San Francisco nightclub
By Barnaby Conrad
San Francisco, CA: Wild Coconuts Pub. Co.; Grawn, Mich.: Distributed by ACCESS Publishers Network
1997
Pg. 202:
When his niece Priscilla wanted to know why Bobby Kennedy had never accepted Buckley’s offer to debate, he said, “Why does the baloney fear the slicer?”
   
Unk’s Wild Wild West
A rough quote from the 60s—- Wm F Buckley was asked why Robt Kennedy avoided appearing on Firing Line? Buckley: “why does baloney avoid the slicer?”
—Lars (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)), February 23, 2001.
   
Bloomberg.com
William F. Buckley, Leading Conservative, Dies at 82 (Update3)
By Nancy Moran - February 27, 2008 15:30 EST
Feb. 27 (Bloomberg)—William F. Buckley Jr., the syndicated columnist and intellectual whose studied mannerisms, verbal flourishes and polemics energized the American conservative movement for a half-century, has died. He was 82.
(...)
In 1966, he began “Firing Line,” pitting liberals against conservatives, in which he played both host and interlocutor.
 
When U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy repeatedly refused to appear on the show, Buckley quipped: “Why does baloney reject the grinder?’’
 
The Telegraph (UK)
Obituaries
William F Buckley
12:01AM GMT 28 Feb 2008
William F Buckley, who died on Wednesday aged 82, was an American author and broadcaster who called himself a radical conservative and made a career of arguing a vigorous and persuasive Right-wing line on public affairs.
(...)
When a particularly opinionated Left-winger in the United States declined an invitation to appear on Firing Line, Buckley commented: “Well, one can hardly expect baloney to come willingly to the slicer.”
   
Google Books
Then Everything Changed:
Stunning Alternate Histories of American Politics: JFK, RFK, Carter, Ford, Reagan
By Jeff Greenfield
New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
2011
Pg. ?:
Had 1968 been a simple Nixon-Kennedy clash, the Republican might well have forced the issue, demanding to know why Robert Kennedy was ducking a debate, quoting William F. Buckley on why Bobby wouldn’t appear on his Firing Line TV show (“Why does baloney avoid the meat slicer?”).
 
The LRC Blog
September 1, 2011
Thanks, Mark!
Posted by Lew Rockwell on September 1, 2011 08:53 AM
Writes Pete DiOrio:
“Mark Levin just spent the hour entertaining himself at the expense of Ron Paul, Tom Woods, LRC, and anyone who associates with, believes in, or follows them. He also got in plugs for the Cato and Reason crowd, and blared that he would never debate Woods.* The ‘great one’ is a coward and a bully hiding behind a microphone.”
__________________________
*For the same reason, as Bill Buckley once said, baloney avoids the slicer