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Debates in gubernatorial race unnecessary

By Joe Martinez on September 20, 2010 3:30 am in Columns, Voices / 11 comments

 

Political debates are dull, tedious and boring, and thanks to this year’s gubernatorial candidates, Michigan voters may be spared from them.

The sides representing Democratic candidate Virg Bernero and GOP candidate Rick Snyder have not been able to compromise on how many debates should take place, when or where the debates should take place, the time they should be and who the moderators should be.

Fine, just scrap the whole idea.

Bernero wanted eight debates because of the free advertising it would get him. In his primary win over House Speaker Andy Dillon, he failed to purchase one single television advertisement and outside groups supporting him have bought all ads that have attacked Dillon or Snyder.

Snyder, who is a political novice and has a near-20-point lead, obviously wants to limit the opportunities for Bernero to score political points at his expense or to come across poor on statewide television.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm outperformed her two Republican opponents in gubernatorial debates, former Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus in 2002 and Grand Rapids businessman Dick DeVos in 2006 and used the momentum to go on to wins in both races.

Political debates are fake, dull events anyway.

The questions that are asked often touch on nothing real voters want to know and are rarely answered by the candidates anyway and most of the candidates’ responses have been rehearsed and revised for weeks at a time.

The most real moment of the campaign came this week when Bernero crashed a Snyder town hall forum in Westland on Monday to put Snyder on the spot about the stalled debate negotiations.

For an hour, both candidates took questions that had not been pre-screened from the audience; real Michigan voters with real questions for their choices to be their next governor.

Would anybody be actually opposed to ditching the traditional debate system for a true town hall forum system with both candidates each week in different parts of the state? No television, open to the general public, with no pre-screened questions to get a sense what the candidates are like on their feet?

It is time to ditch the debates and get the candidates actually talking to voters.

 

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  • Michmediaperson

    Great column, Joe. Totally agree 100 percent.

    We don’t need to elect a debate winner. We need a business person, a leader.

    Instead of chasing Snyder, why doesn’t Bernaro get out there and visit the 83 counties and tell everyone how the past 8 years of the socialistic Granholm has been phenomenal for Michigan. High unemployment, high taxes, businesses and corporations leaving, Dems in Detroit going to prison? Isn’t Virge proud of the Democratic Party record in Michigan?

    Can’t Virge even find some labor halls to preach his liberal agenda. His problem is eight disastrous years of Jennifer Granholm’s socialism program. We need to move way to the right to get Michigan back to the great state it was when John Engler was Governor.

    And, why doesn’t he get out there in town hall forums and talk with the people about his continual Granholm socialism agenda he plans to keep going in Michigan.

    He just wants debates so he can stand there for an hour like a parrot and say Snyder outsourced jobs at Gateway, although we still don’t have any proof.

    Plus, in a debate, he knows the liberal Democrat Party media will assist him in questions, answers, etc.

    Joe is right. I’d like to see real Michigan voters ask the questions, not left-wing media people with an agenda.

    The Democrats are going to lose big this fall. Between Bernaro and Granholm in Michigan and Barack Hussein Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid on the federal level, the GOP will win big this fall!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JTNQYINCLO763CITA7L6P5TW34 Major

    Well Well that is what Rick Snyder town halls are, Great Forums and the questions are not prescreened. if Virg wants to be heard he should hold his own. Also if the media did more reporting on the issues vs bickering we would not have this issue would we

  • Timbankful

    I disagree. It is important for the electorate to see how the candidates perform under intense pressure. Although I do not believe what is said or not said during a debate should be though of as the primary reason in making a candidate selection for governor.

  • Timbankful

    I disagree. It is important for the electorate to see how the candidates perform under intense pressure. Although I do not believe what is said or not said during a debate should be though of as the primary reason in making a candidate selection for governor.

  • Poop

    absurd, major. His “town halls” are political rallies, and nothing more. Invited guests, and the questions dont have to be prescreened since the only people invited are identified republican voters. How people like you convince yourselves to believe such incredibly unfounded arguments is apalling.

  • Is Glen Beck a terrorist?

    Funny, the Democrat with an Islamic sounding name inherited an over year old recession which ended within six months, but somehow the blame for the bad economy belongs to him and not to the Republican warmonger who spent eight years screwing things up. When you live in a fantasy land of hypocrisy and lies, reality does seem to have a liberal bias.

  • Timothy Weiler

    I truely enjoy the honestly and the direct answers given at Rick'cs town halls.

    He listens to the voting public and gives straight forward answers.letting us know his thought process.

    I wish Virg would be as open to talk to all of the voters in the state as Rick does.

    Rick has not forgotten about Northern Michigan and the UP.

  • Chips

    Obviously you aren't a student at CMU who went to the library auditorium while he was here. I'm pretty sure all of those people weren't “invited guests” who were “identified republican voters”.

  • Chips

    You wouldn't like that to happen, but people believe what ever the media tells them, true or not. Seth McFarland said it best when in family guy Lois said 9-11 and the crowd went crazy. This is exactly how uneducated voters are, and you are only catering to this mentality when there are structured debates with pre-screened questions and answers.

  • Timbankful

    lady ga ga you seem unable to understand that each parties governing behavior is controlled by differing political philosophies. I think you should take those differences into consideration before you call other people hypocrites,liars and bigots. Your mean spirited attacks make you look small and ignorant.

  • Is Glen Beck a terrorist?

    When the claimed philosophy is contrary to demonstrated practice, that's hypocrisy (“fiscal conservatism” and the GOP.) Statements that are diametrically opposed to the truth are lies (labeling of disgraced Republicans as Democrats by Fox News.) Judging people based on their skin color or sexual orientation is bigotry (you.)

    Pointing out bigotry, lies and hypocrisy is labeled as “mean spirited attacks” by bigots, liars and hypocrites. Shocking.