Ducking candidate forums subverts electorate

There are things that shape who we are as a country, and our process of elections is one of them.
As we enter the heavy part of the 2024 general election, a couple things are starting to become very apparent
We’ve always engaged in what is referred to as electoral math. That’s where campaigns consider statistical data to determine where to concentrate resources. It’s mostly a state and federal dynamic and usually doesn’t factor into local elections unless you’re in a major metropolitan area.
However, we’re seeing a different kind of electoral math in local elections and that’s where candidates decide for themselves whether there’s voter value in participating in candidate forums.
It's certainly taking a que from state and national races, but local races are almost always grassroots efforts. Since the pandemic, you don’t really see people going door-to-door anymore. You’re seeing more and more meet-and-greets where the public can come for a couple hours and shake hands with local candidates and maybe ask them about this issue or that.
But the onus here is completely on the shoulders of the voters to get out and engage with candidates. That’s fine on the surface, but the downside of that is maybe a couple people overhear a conversation at a meet-and-greet so candidates can focus their answers to the one-on-one. Still, not really a deal-breaker for me, but we have a better system.
Candidate forums, specifically this year where every seat on the ballot locally from auditor to sheriff to supervisor to state representative and state senator are contested, are one of the main ways we get to question our candidates.
This year the Pen City Current is co-sponsoring, alongside Mississippi Valley Publishing, three forums to give voters a chance to hear candidates react instinctively to questions specific to their races.
We’ve given more than a month’s notice, but we’re seeing several on the Republican side share concerns about attending. Reasons include everything from perceived biases, relationships with candidates and the media, to no benefit to debating opponents.
First off, news organizations have hosted and moderated candidate forums for decades. However, we have no intention of moderating the forums. We’re organizing and sponsoring them. We will help put questions together based on bodies of work of the candidates and issues facing the constituents of Lee County. And, although people can have opinions based on coverage, we are the most uniquely qualified to set the tone because we are the ones who regularly attend and report on the doings of local governmental agencies and elected officials. There is no arguing that point.
Every journalist has relationships with elected officials. It’s part of the source-building process and it’s a must in news gathering. It’s the profession and, if you don’t get that it’s understandable, but nonetheless a part of the process.
The other, most disheartening, reason is to say there is no value to the forum. This would mean the candidate has nothing to gain and everything to lose by engaging with their opponent.
Not only is that absurdly disingenuous to the electorate, but it subverts the process. That’s trying to win by default. You don’t get to be coronated in this country. Your ideas always have to be better than your opponents' in the mind of each voter and if you refuse to engage in a formal debate with your opponent, it’s a sign of weakness that isn’t deserving of a vote…any vote.
America is in a tailspin. You cannot deny it. Our leaders are not the great leaders of the past and we’re more about control and majority than we are about improving lives. We saw a multitude of votes cast over the past two to four year where votes were based on caucus direction and not knowledge of the bill. The Back the Blue is one that stands out. But it’s becoming clear the new restrictive property tax law may be a similar case study where state senators and representatives didn’t really understand the impact those restrictions would make and there may be movement to undo some of that passed legislation.
As a constituency, we can’t be comfortable with candidates, be it incumbents or their opponents, just holding serve, if you will. They need to be engaged and take on all comers if they want to hold that revered seat. They are revered seats, and if we don’t think they are, we undervalue the system.
There are eight candidates for Lee County Supervisor in the general election. Garry Seyb, Jr., Matt Pflug, Ron Fedler, Denise Fraise, Joey Herren, Jim Steffen, Ginger Knisley, and Theresa Murray, There are two candidates for Lee County Sheriff - Stacy Weber and Elliott Vandenberg; two candidates for Lee County Auditor - Sherri Yasenchok and Roslyn Garcia; two candidates for District 100 State Rep. - Martin Graber and Nic Atwood, two candidates for District 99 State Representative – Matt Rinker and James Beres; and two candidates for District 50 State Senator - Jeff Reichman and Nannette Griffin.
We’re asking each and every one of these candidates to participate in the respective forums being scheduled for the end of September and beginning of October. We’re also asking you, the readers, to let them know you value a well-organized and professionally-run candidate forum.
These are covered by local news media so those not able to attend can still get information from the forums that can help frame your opinion as you head to the ballot box.
We’ve got to get back to politics based on ideas for a greater county, state, and country. Not politics based on candidates dictating dialogue. They work for you, they should be subject to interrogation by you.
Contrary to current sociopolitical climates – we still get to question our leaders – But that’s Beside the Point.
Chuck Vandenberg is editor and co-owner of Pen City Current and can be reached at Charles.V@PenCityCurrent.com.