Politics drives Markey decision to decline debate
September 19, 2010
| Rep. Betsy Markey is right when she told the Coloradoan editorial board last week that debates offer an unfiltered opportunity for the public to view candidates. That is just one reason why Markey’s decision last week not to participate in an Oct. 16 debate alongside her Republican opponent, Cory Gardner, is shortsighted, to say the least. Markey said she declined to participate in the 9News/Coloradoan debate because of a longstanding policy at the TV station that requires that candidates participating in the debate must have received a polling of 10 percent or greater. Markey wants all four candidates, including independent Ken “Wasko” Waszkiewicz and Doug Aden of the American Constitution Party, to participate. At first glance, her reasons for not participating seem magnanimous. She is correct that all four candidates have earned their places on the ballot. But a deeper look reveals that political strategy, not generosity of spirit, is the true motivation here. Political experts say Markey’s campaign staff likely would prefer to have Aden and Waszkiewicz in the debate and in the conversation about the debate in hopes that they might draw conservative voters from Gardner. In other words, political strategy at this moment is trumping the need for the public to see the top two candidates square off in a debate. That means voters won’t be given an unfettered opportunity to compare and contrast the top two candidates in a forum that has drawn the largest audience in the 4th Congressional District in the past. Markey, a former Larimer County Democratic Party chairwoman and former staff member of Sen. Ken Salazar has not raised such objections to debate rules before. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, and Republican Ken Buck have participated in two debates so far without their eight other minority party candidates. So, too, has Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, who has debated Republican Dan Maes and Tom Tancredo of the American Constitution Party without seven other candidates. Markey said she still is talking with a local TV channel and Rocky Mountain PBS about either a candidates’ forum or debate that would involve the four candidates. Time is running out here for voters to become informed about their candidates beyond closely controlled campaign messaging. Markey is the incumbent and has longtime political experience. She should welcome a debate in any form |