Democrat Katie Hobbs says no to Arizona governor debate

[Polybius]

Source: Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Democrat Katie Hobbs’ campaign announced Sunday that she would not debate Republican Kari Lake as the two battle for the Arizona governor’s office, calling off any negotiations with Lake and the state commission overseeing debates.

The decision came after more than a week of efforts by Hobbs, currently secretary of state, to change the debate into separate half-hour interviews with the moderator. The Citizens Clean Elections Commission, which has held debates for two decades featuring candidates for statewide and legislative offices, flatly rejected that proposal on Thursday.

Instead, the commission urged its staff to work with Hobbs to come up with minor changes to the debate and gave her a week to come to an agreement. Hobbs’ campaign manager’s statements to the commissioners made it seem unlikely that a deal could be reached.

Nicole DeMont instead repeated the campaign’s concerns that debating Lake would “just create another spectacle, like we saw in the GOP primary debate. But on top of that, I would just add, you can’t debate a conspiracy theorist and at the last debate, she brought the conversation back to the 2020 election no less than a dozen times.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-arizona-campaigns-government-and-politics-540ee7c3603d522c4e12c4e7083443b5

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I'm not really a fan of backing out of debates. Flame away, but I don't think it looks good to swing voters. It would be very easy to show what a nut Lake is in a debate. This worked very well for Biden who mopped the floor with Trump in debates (especially the first one).

[Frances]

1. I agree with Hobbs

[jimfields33]

2. I don't. She could win the debate

I think since so many are backing out of them this year. We may see the end of them soon.

[Funtatlaguy]

11. No win situation. Lake is crazy. You can't argue with a crazy person.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

23. Thus you don't argue. Simply highlight & point out her craziness until it is obvious

Plus a debate is free media to get your own agenda in front of interested voters.

[machoneman]

34. No, no, no! Lake would talk out of turn, interrupt Hobbs and make a spectacle of the 'debate'.

That's what Lake would do.....and worse.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

41. That's the point. Amp it up. Get Lake frothing at the mouth and make a big "mis-speak". . . .nt

[WinstonSmith4740]

48. Trump did the same thing.

Didn't work to well for him.

I understand that Lake will turn it into a sideshow. Let her. Let her make a complete, damned fool of herself. I just think if Hobbs doesn't debate, Lake will turn that to her advantage. "What is she afraid of, why is she hiding?" type stuff can be a killer.

[StrkSrviver]

3. Katie Hobbs

DON'T be afraid of letting a bitch be a bitch. This is exactly the WRONG tactic this year. Ms. Hobbs. This is going back to the "afraid of their own shadow " campaigning that has plagued the Democratic party for DECADES

[mopinko]

15. wrong. the j6 committee shows how diff thing are w/o the flying monkeys. dont dignify them.

[StrkSrviver]

19. Unfortunately

I agree with you about the difference without the magats being magats and shitting all over the place in a congressional situation. Campaigning is a whole different animal.
Letting fools be fools in a public setting has never been a bad decision.
In campaigning, Democratic candidates need to embrace their inner Dark Brandon.
This somehow feels like a Michael Dukakis moment instead.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Exactly: "Letting fools be fools in public" is very effective

You can't sway a fool's base, but you can shift the wobbly middle away from the fool.

[GP6971]

18. Really?

Welcome to DU I guess.

[StrkSrviver]

22. Thanks for the greetings ✌

Yes, really. I'm an Arizona native and I am so tired of the Democratic candidates in this state playing the "nice " card all the time. That strategy cost Rep. Kirkpatrick the debate against McCain 2016.
I do hope that this decision is the right one for her but you can tell I have my doubts.

[obamanut2012]

39. Why do you think calling a woman a bitch is okay?

Why are you okay with gendered slurs?

[MrsCoffee]

30. So much wrong with this post.

Sick and tired of the sexist slurs being thrown around here, on top of the dem bashing.

Do better.

[obamanut2012]

38. Me, too

We have been trying for over a decade to get the Admins to ban the use of gendered slurs, but they seem to be A-OK!

[obamanut2012]

37. "letting a bitch be a bitch" -- really, you think gendered slurs are okay?

Wow!

You are still pretty new -- maybe go read the rules for here, okay?

[Archae]

4. Hobbs no doubt could have beat Kari Lake, but the effort would have been exhausting.

Ever TRY to have a conversation with a crazy person?

I did, and the woman used the "Gish Gallop" to "win" the argument.
She was convinced I was pregnant.
(I'm a guy.)

Kari Lake would do this.

[Polybius]

10. Yeah, but on live TV?

80% would side with Hobbs and she'd jump 5 points in the polls. It's a dead even race right now.

[Orrex]

12. Every time a Democrat crushes a Republican in a debate, the press praises the Republican

As long as the Repub manages not to drop their pants and shit on the stage, it's seen as a major victory.

But if a Democrat has too strong a handshake or has confident body language or a command of the issues, the press goes on and on about how the Dem comes across as arrogant and can't connect with voters.

Repubs don't debate in order to debate; they do it in order to recite the red meat slogans for their base and for any imaginary "independents" who remain steadfastly independent right up until they pull the red lever for the hundredth straight time.

[Funtatlaguy]

13. Lake, Oz, and Walker are crazy and completely unqualified.

And yet, the GOP primary voters IN Arizona, Pennsylvania and Georgia nominated them.
I WEEP FOR MY COUNTRY.

[Celerity]

20. Masters as well and he is the Senate candidate, so a better match to Walker and Oz in that regard

[StrkSrviver]

21. ☝☝☝☝☝

[Septua]

5. Can't debate a conspiracy theorist...?

I'd think Hobbs would look forward to it. One question to Lake: Where's the proof? I heard her dance around the question on a previous interview...she won't answer it.

But Lake will turn it into a negative for Hobbs.

[StrkSrviver]

7. EXACTLY

You also don't give a bitch a chance to be a vindictive bitch. Now you're playing into their hands.

[oldsoftie]

29. I like your style. "If you have proof, which you keep saying you do, SHOW IT"

[Orrex]

44. I interacted on FB this morning with a Qultist

who claimed that Biden had paid to have his name removed from any visitor records @ Epstein's various trafficking facilities.

I asked for documentation, and he said "I'm not going to do the research for you. The proof is out there for people willing to see it."

A functional human being would immediately recognize the emptiness of the Qultist's response, but to other conspiracy-minded types, that response is a resounding defeat of the Kool-Aid-drinking deep-staters like me.

[oldsoftie]

45. I have been there. "Oh its out there, YOU find it". No dumbass, YOU prove your point

I have one regular contributor who believes pretty much EVERY conspiracy. From the moon landing to trump still being president. Also, HRC is in jail and she we see her or Biden they're actors wearing masks. And he believes in clones. he said "you do know its possible to clone a human??" I said, yes, and if you did clone a human you get a BABY. Not a functioning ADULT.

[MrsCoffee]

33. Knock it off.

[Samrob]

6. I agree with Hobbs. "Give the devil no place." nt

[OneCrazyDiamond]

8. This.

Anyone Drump endorses shouldn't be given a platform.

[grantcart]

17. absolutely. Lake spent 24 years before the camera on TV news and has become an experienced

provocateur.

She would spend the entire time yelling about immigration lies and Hobbs would have to spend her time correcting her.

[dobleremolque]

9. I forget who said it, but

"Reason can only hope to speak to reason."

Lake is unreasonable and a monumentally unqualified single issue nutbag and if Hobbs' campaign staff has any sense, they'll pump that theme over and over again.

I think Hobbs did the right thing. Here's an idea:

Video: Hobbs poses questions about issues Arizonans care about, abortion, female bodily autonomy, water, climate change, education, voter rights, and the response is of Lake's answer with the clip of the same imbecilic election denial quote over and over again. Whatever the issue, Lake only answers with 2020 election denial.

Tagline: "Only Katie Hobbs... has answers for issues that affect you." or "issues that you care about."

[speak easy]

16. "You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts." Daniel Moynihan

[Grins]

14. Forget debates. They are just "sound bite" generators.

Everyone knows, after a year of campaigning and primaries, who the candidates are, what they stand for - and who they are going to vote for.

The debates are not real debates, are run by the wrong people, reveal nothing, and change no minds. They are fodder for talking heads.

[oldsoftie]

31. This is sadly true too. Much like many Congressional hearings.

Same question asked by 7 different people trying to get that YouTube moment for their base

[LittleGirl]

25. This voter doesn't care about debates

I’ll vote for Katie again.

[Novara]

26. I agree. Backing out of debates is shitty

Rather, work on the moderation of said debates. If her complaint is that the other person keeps bringing up the 2020 election, well then, that tells me this is a moderation problem. Moderators should be able to get the debate back on track.

It's looking more and more that the entire debate structure needs an overhaul. I don't think the candidates should call all the shots. I think the moderators need to be impartial and they need to pose substantive questions and get the discussion back on track when someone veers off into crazyland.

[DENVERPOPS]

50. how about

the moderator allows the person to speak for only their allotted time, then shuts off their microphone and turns on the other person's microphone for their allotted time. And, separated sound areas, so the other candidate can't up their voice and try to drown out the other's speech. I get so tired of trying to hear my candidate, when the other one has been highly trained in ignoring the time limit and raising their voice and talking over my candidate.

Wouldn't it be great if the moderator stopped between each person's last minutes, reviewed their comments, had a fact checking group and called out whether they lied or not, before the other person started to talk?????? THEN WATCH THE REPUBLICAN'S BACK OUT OF DEBATES...LOL

Hillary should have turned to the Moderator and said: Would you please ORDER the other candidate to QUIT STALKING ME AROUND THE STAGE and then just stare at the moderator until she did something. That soundbite would have been repeated in the media for days, except of course, on Fox..........

[Novara]

51. good ideas

Debates are so crappy now because anything goes. Moderators don't try to control the debate and that leaves the worst actors to be their worst selves.

[SKKY]

27. I'm not in Arizona, but I can't imagine this will play well.

[bucolic_frolic]

28. Support Hobbs all the way. Starve these cretins of oxygen.

Especially if you think you can win without debating. Remember the final Carter-Reagan debate, 1980. Don't give charlatans the chance to distort reality, which is their strongest suit.

[FloridaBlues]

32. I hope she does debate lake exposure her nonsense

The more independents know about crazy Lake the better.
If the polling is close it gives Hobbs a platform for her agenda.

[onetexan]

35. Agree w Ms. Hobbs. Can't reason with stupid so she shouldn't bother.

Voters have made up their minds at this juncture. If they are still bent on voting for the crazy they are crazy themselves so Hobbs won't be changing their minds. The independents need to do their own research if they haven't made up their minds who to vote for by now.

[Scruffy1]

36. George Bernard Shaw said it best.

"Never wrestle with pigs. You just get dirty, and besides, the pigs like it."

[867-5309.]

40. Bad decision

I wouldn't turn down a debate with a moron because they're going to show themselves to be a moron.

[myohmy2]

42. good for her...

...you can't 'debate' with trump humping maggots...they'll just spread lies, rant and shit all over the place...

...engaging directly with the maggots hasn't been working out very well for anyone...time for a new strategy, disengagement...

...adults shouldn't have to engage with crazy childern-type adults...

...when the pukes grow up we'll debate them...until then, what value is having a trump stalking Hillary spectacle?...

...to me, disengagement would offer a clearer cleaner choice for independents...

...time to tell the pukes to grow up, get serious get real, or go fuck yourself...

...

[Beautiful Disaster]

43. Hobbs very well could lose this election.

The polls are extremely close. I think she just gifted Lake the election. Hope I'm wrong but Lake is going to use this to hammer home that Hobbs is scared and that's going to be more effective than anything Hobbs can say.

Truthfully, those who are saying you can't reasonably debate these people are missing the point. As awful as the first debate between Biden and Trump was, with how close the election was, I believe Trump's performance was bad enough that it may have cost him the election. No debate and who knows how things look today? Possible Trump is still president.

[NH Ethylene]

46. If her opponent had backed out of the debate, we would be all over her.

And rightly so.

I think it's a bad idea, in general, to refuse to debate.

[madville]

49. Refusing to debate usually looks weak

Doesn’t matter which side, refusing to debate in a close race just helps the opponent. If they were up 20 points it wouldn’t matter but in a 50/50 race there is no upside to not debating.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

52. Smart move. Scary Kari is a fascist, out of touch with reality, and has never held office.

She suffers from acquired psychosis syndrome. It is impossible to have a rational conversation with such an individual, let alone have a constructive debate with one.