Even though there’s still a lot of time before the midterm elections in November, Democrats in key races over the country are stopping chances to safeguard their platforms in front of voters.
All Eyes on Arizona
Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s secretary of state and a contender for governor this fall, joined the ranks of other Democratic nominees who declined to debate their Republican opponents.
The Hobbs campaign issued a statement, saying former news presenter Kari Lake was too radical to appear on the same stage as the Democratic candidate.
Lake called Hobbs a “twice-convicted racist,” alluding to the two jury trials that found the state secretary guilty of discriminatory hiring practices while serving as minority leader in the Arizona Senate.
Republican Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley urged five-term incumbent Patty Murray to four debates, but Murray has refused to participate.
Katie Hobbs refuses to debate @KariLake.
John Fetterman refuses to debate @DrOz.
Josh Shapiro refuses to debate @dougmastriano.
Kathy Hochul refuses to debate @RepLeeZeldin.
Democrats are afraid to stand by their policies because they know they will lose.— Republican Jew – Lumber King (@EzraDrissman) September 13, 2022
Now onto Pennsylvania
Lt. Governor John Fetterman, a Democrat running for the Senate seat being vacated by departing Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, declined to face Republican TV doctor Mehmet Oz on health grounds.
Back in May, Fetterman had a stroke that “nearly killed” him.
In a statement released after he declined a debate invitation for September, Fetterman said he looks ahead to continuing to engage with the people of Pennsylvania as his aural processing and voice recover following the stroke.
According to Oz’s team, Fetterman’s refusal to appear at any of the five forums Oz challenged him to is an insult to the intellect of Pennsylvania voters.
In case you were wondering why John Fetterman’s handlers won’t let him debate… pic.twitter.com/YXTkoweNBz
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 12, 2022
Fetterman is seeking to have it both ways by claiming he is too sick to debate, despite the fact his stumbling hearing on the campaign trail made him difficult to distinguish from President Joe Biden.
However, Fetterman argued his health prevented him from being on stage with his Republican contender, Dr. Oz.
Still, voters are anticipated to have faith that Fetterman can handle the rigors of serving for a full six years in the Senate, including sitting for long periods of time.
After receiving criticism for canceling an appearance on September 6, Fetterman granted an interview to Politico, in which he promised to take part in a single live debate with Dr. Oz in October.
According to what Fetterman told the press, debating Dr. Oz has long been a goal of his. Even the Washington Post editorial board demanded more from Fetterman on Monday after he originally downplayed the seriousness of his stroke.
The Post editorial board expressed concern that Fetterman, who is still recovering from a major stroke, is unfit to serve in the Senate because of his apparent reluctance to commit to clear debate dates.
“Mr. Fetterman is asking voters to give him a six-year contract without providing them with enough information to decide whether or not he is qualified for the position.”
This article appeared in The Political Globe and has been published here with permission.
