Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Editorial: Open debate to all candidates
The Tea Party candidate made the ballot in the 5th District. Let him into the debate.
From the RoundTable blog
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There's something oddly comforting in the banal predictability of the campaign season. Case in point: the debate over debates in the 5th Congressional District.
Democratic incumbent Rep. Tom Perriello wants inclusive debates with both of his opponents. Republican challenger Robert Hurt wants to face Perriello alone. Tea partier Jeffrey Clark just wants someone to listen to him.
Maybe Perriello's motives are pure. Maybe he genuinely does want to give Clark a fair shot at wooing voters. Perriello often meets with people who challenge his views.
Yet cold political calculus shapes analysis, too. Whenever a third-party or independent candidate enters a race, the script is the same. It only varies by who plays what role.
If the insurgent comes from the right, for example, then the Democrat wants him included because he might draw crucial votes from his opponent. Meanwhile, the Republican argues the insurgent is not a credible candidate. Allowing him to participate would waste everyone's time.
If the insurgent comes from the left, just swap the roles for the major-party candidates.
Give Clark a chance. If he is a fringe candidate with no viable views, Hurt, state senator who spent six years in the House of Delegates, should have nothing to fear. Surely he has informed answers to undercut the challenges.
Then again, it's possible that Clark's views appeal to some voters who might otherwise vote for the Republican. So be it.
It's also possible that Clark will attract voters who might not otherwise turn out on Election Day because they believe neither the Democrat nor the Republican represents them. Then the electorate wins by more accurately reflecting the ideologies of the people than the narrow R and D boxes allow.
Democrats and Republicans remain the two dominant parties in large part because they build coalitions. But there is also an element of bullying. They use their power to crowd out independent candidates.
Clark earned his way onto the ballot. He deserves the same chance to present his case to voters from Charlottesville to Danville.
