Across the nation, there is a trend of Democratic candidates who are completely refusing to debate their Republican opponents. This is happening in New York, Arizona, and other states across the country.
These Democrats naturally have all sorts of reasons for why they don’t want to debate their opponents. Yet, at the end of the day, it’s a bad look with terrible optics.
Debates have been a traditional part of US politics going back decades. They allow voters to get an upfront look at the candidates seeking their support and the difference between candidates’ policies.
Democrats who won’t debate are now being slammed as incapable of defending their own policies. In Pennsylvania, Democratic senatorial candidate John Fetterman reversed his previous choice not to debate GOP rival Mehmet Oz.
However, there’s a catch to the terms in which Fetterman is agreeing to debate Oz, as documented by Breitbart News.
A Post Voting-Debate
Fetterman recently committed to a debate against Oz on Tuesday, October 25. However, this date comes after voting for the Pennsylvania Senate seat will have already begun.
The Oz campaign, meanwhile, is raising concerns about Fetterman’s efforts to collaborate with moderators in order to know questions ahead of time. However, Oz has agreed to a debate lasting 1.5 hours, rather than just one hour.
Mark your calendars: Fetterman has committed to a Senate debate Oct. 25. Will be broadcast on stations across the state (including WPXI in Pgh). That's late in the cycle, as Oz will object, but Team Fett says in 2020 "83% of ballots in [Pa] were cast in the final two weeks" pic.twitter.com/ZpedwVDy76
— Chris Potter (@CPotterPgh) September 14, 2022
Many people are questioning the timing of the debate that Fetterman’s agreed to. In many cases, political debates happen before voting starts. This way, people can get a fair look at the candidates and their policies before heading to the polls.
Fetterman agreeing to debate after at least some Pennsylvanians will have already voted appears as though he’s trying to circumvent the intention of debates, to begin with.
A Needed Return to Real Debates
America could certainly benefit from a return to political candidates not trying to get around debates.
If various contenders are not willing to compare and contrast their ideas before the competition, it’s hard to make a case as to why they should be elected into public office.
In Arizona, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs says GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is too radical. Though if Hobbs truly believed this, she’d have no problem with directly debating Lake and putting her ideas against the Republican’s.
Dr. Oz: “[Fetterman] has got to agree…for multiple debates starting immediately to prove his ability to serve.”
John Fetterman says he will debate, but he continues to hide his radical ideas from Pennsylvania voters. pic.twitter.com/I5L3Ek0OLU
— NRSC Rapid Response (@NRSC_Rapid) September 13, 2022
Refusals to debate or putting off debates until voting has already commenced largely does voters a disservice throughout the electoral process. Quite frankly, Americans ought to demand more from the people seeking leadership roles in government.
What do you think about John Fetterman only agreeing to debate Mehmet Oz after Pennsylvania voting already starts?
Let us know in the comments area what you make of various Democrats across the United States who are refusing to debate their Republican opponents.
This article appeared in New Vision News and has been published here with permission.
