First Mayoral Debate - Cancelled

[Suzanne Metelko]

I have just been informed that the St. Cyrils debate is cancelled. A representative of the mayor personally contacted the organizer and then Father Duke. The result - no debate.

The Demro Campaign doesn't condone this type of political machine rolling. The debate will take place on September 5 at an alternate location. We have invited the organizer and she has agreed to move the event to a location provided by the Demro and Fitzgerald campaigns. The Mayor is invited to participate.

Please stay tuned. More information forthcoming.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I have just been informed that the St. Cyrils debate is cancelled. A representative of the mayor personally contacted the organizer and then Father Duke. The result - no debate.

The Demro Campaign doesn't condone this type of political machine rolling. The debate will take place on September 5 at an alternate location. We have invited the organizer and she has agreed to move the event to a location provided by the Demro and Fitzgerald campaigns. The Mayor is invited to participate.

Please stay tuned. More information forthcoming.

Suzanne


The LO is willing to speed up our efforts, and cover any story resulting from this this cancellation.

FWIW


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[Ivor Karabatkovic]

I can't wait to hear about how candidates were booed like Hilary at the CNN debates and to see which camp the boo'ers are from.

persnally this whole debate thing is a joke to me, because a candidate can sit there and attack the others to gain ground and then promise all of us something that we will never see in the future.

a great mayor should lead with actions, not posts.

[Suzanne Metelko]

Actually Jim this is an opportunity for the LO to step into the void and defend free speech. How about sponsoring this debate?

[Jeff Endress]

I sure hope that this cancellation was as a result of a scheduling conflict or some other issue, and the mayor requested, as a result of not being available, to explore alternate dates. It sounds as if both Ryan and Ed were in the loop on scheduling, perhaps the Mayor was not?

Or is there a darker explanation? I'd sure like to know what's going on.

Jeff

[Ed FitzGerald]

I learned of this debate this past Monday. I had an event scheduled for September 5th which I cancelled so I could participate.

If it is true that a member of the city's Law Department complained to the debate organizer, I find that very, very disturbing.

The actions surrounding this debate may tell us more about the candidates than the actual debate would have.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Actually Jim this is an opportunity for the LO to step into the void and defend free speech. How about sponsoring this debate?

Suzanne

Let me climb up on my high horse and answer this one.

I cannot think of anyone or any group that is more dedicated to FREE/FAIR Speech than myself, the Advisory Board and members of The Lakewood Observer.

The Observer has a special section just for candidates to engage in civic open dialog, so that voters and residents can read and understand platforms. Let's see 300 in the Hall of the Church, or 3,00,000 hits a month! So far nothing but crickets.

While Ryan basically ran an ad for himself in the last two papers, no one word was altered or stopped. You have no ideas how outraged the city was, but, we fell back on the LO being dedicated to the discussion, and they understood.

One of the very few reasons the Observer was made and designed was for the FREE, HONEST, flow of ideas and discussions.

As Jay Foran said, transparency is the hallmark of this project.

If every candidate sends me contact information we can get this going.

While this will be a mayoral event, I would encourage all candidates running for office to send in contatc information if they want to be part of our council and/or schoolboard events.



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[Lynn Farris]

I don't want to be negative, but I think this whole debate fiasco is a metaphor for what is wrong in Lakewood. We have the dying flowers in baskets, the running urinals and can't even seem to hold a debate without controversy. If we can't get these little things right how do we hope to move the city forward?

I think everyone agrees that the citizens deserve to hear debates. While Ivor has some concerns about a debate format it is traditional and it has served the citizens of our country very well since its inception. As someone who debated in HS I think it is a perfect way to hear point and counterpoint on a whole variety of issues affecting Lakewood.

Normally they occur either 1 of 2 ways. Different organizations invite the candidates to speak, or the candidates or their organizations sit down and hammer out together, how many debates, the dates, the locations and the topics as well as the ground rules. A campaign should not schedule a debate purposefully when a candidate is out of town - but no candidate should stop this civic activity by being busy every time a date is suggested. I'm sure politics is being played here but it isn't only 1 sided. If 1 candidate refuses to participate - which I haven't heard is happening that should not cause the rest of the candidates to forgo this activity - as it is important civic discourse.

If we can't schedule a debate without an uproar how can we solve the crime problem, lower taxes, improve housing, get a pennisula etc?

I'm not against controvery on important issues - like the best way to address the crime problem - that we need spirited debate on to find the best solution. I'm against controversy on silly meaningless issues like where and when to hold the debates.

[c. dawson]

Debates can be interesting, but for the most part they're often just heavily-orchestrated PR moves. Granted, they've become a part of the political landscape in the TV era, but overall, you don't always see them in American political history. Sure, the Kennedy-Nixon debate was a watershed (though of course, nowhere near the scope of the Lincoln-Douglas debates), but did Eisenhower ever debate Adlai Stevenson? Nothing I've ever read about Harry Truman suggests he ever engaged in a debate with another politician, even in his early local politician days. FDR never debated his opponents, and that holds true I think for most of the US presidents before TV. Granted, candidates squared off against each other in the press, and flung mud upon each other on the radio and in public speeches, but the debates we expect now as part of our modern politics are still fairly new. And they do generally emphasize style over substance ... one candidate may be an excellent public speaker and comport themselves with confidence and dignity ... does that mean that they're a better leader than the other, who may be not good on the stump, but may still be a skilled administrator with a vision.

I'd love to see any sort of debate, just to hear what the candidates' plans are for Lakewood's future ... even if it is pre-election hyperbole, which does serve a purpose ... because later when they don't carry out these promises, it's easy to go back to them and say that they promised something, didn't deliver or even try, and perhaps are not worthy of our trust or future votes.

[Mark Crnolatas]

I wonder if any of this will be on Art Bell?

Mark Allan Crnolatas

[Bill Call]

This is complete nonsense.

Councilman Fitgerald and Councilman Demro should agree to a series of debates with or without the Mayor.

They should not allow the Mayor to dictate the terms of the discussion.

This election is pivotal to the future of the City. Some might say we cannot afford four more years of Tom George and some might say we cannot afford four more years without Tom George, that's a matter of opinion.

What is not a matter of opinion is that the people of this City deserve an open discussion of the issues.

I offer my back yard as a venue, my front yard or the bed of my pick up at any location. I guess I tend to over simplify but for Pete's sake all we are talking about is a Mayoral debate.

[sharon kinsella]

Wow - this is weird.

I actually like your ideas for venue Bill.

How down home and fun would that be, but, sigh, it won't ever be that fun.

[Richard Cole]

I offer my back yard as a venue, my front yard or the bed of my pick up at any location. I guess I tend to over simplify but for Pete's sake all we are talking about is a Mayoral debate.

I like the bed of the pick-up idea.

Honest debate, honest discussion - it shouldn't be difficult to arrange!

[Gary Rice]

The way this campaign season's been going, a mud-wrestling cage might be better

[Jim O'Bryan]

All

This is not rocket surgery.

Today I spoke with a candidate that has agreed in principle to our debate format. I also spoke with Bill Call that seemed very excited about our ideas.

It is our plan to announce the full debate program Monday.

Thanks for all that are helping.


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