Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Editorial: Warner ducks a senatorial debate
Mark Warner erred in turning down a statewide televised debate. He should reconsider.
From the RoundTable blog
Read the latest entries
For Mark Warner, a statewide televised debate with his senatorial opponent seems like a losing proposition. Warner is far ahead of Jim Gilmore in both campaign contributions and voter polls. If Warner agreed to a debate, it would give Gilmore a level of exposure he currently can't afford to buy.
Why should Warner risk a gaffe or give Gilmore the opportunity to spout some pithy, but shallow, populist slogan?
He shouldn't, if that were all there is to it. Warner would be right to turn down an invitation from the Virginia League of Women Voters. He wouldn't need the debate.
But there's far more to it. Warner lost huge public relations points by blowing off the organization best equipped to host a statewide, televised debate, failing to give all Virginians an opportunity to see him debate his opponent.
His excuse for doing so is lame: He couldn't work it into his busy campaign schedule.
Fiddlesticks. The league gave him five dates to select from. Minor campaign appearances are often shuffled to make way for major platforms.
He should have participated. Since the deadline is past, he should agree quickly to some nonpartisan debate that allows voters statewide to tune in to learn more about him, his opponent and their distinctly different positions.
Neither candidate is unfamiliar, of course. Democrat Warner succeeded Republican Gilmore in the governor's office. Both men have widely different views of each other's administrations. Warner remains wildly popular for his nonpartisan leadership. Gilmore's political clout has faded even within his own party. Still, Virginians might not know what each plans to do about the national issues a new senator would face.
Gilmore is at a distinct disadvantage in this campaign. A televised debate would only help him reach voters, but he, too, risks a politically deadly misspeak. Gilmore is capitalizing now on Warner's refusal by asking, "What is Mark Warner hiding?"
It's not a matter of hiding so much as it is of ducking. Warner shouldn't lose sight of the type of senator Virginians elect. The retiring John Warner, whom he wishes to succeed, doesn't duck. Neither should this Warner.
