Debate would help voters

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July 28, 2012

Debate would help voters

Anonymous The Muskogee Phoenix Sat Jul 28, 2012, 11:51 PM CDT

— Voters lose and our election process is shortchanged when candidates miss opportunities to discuss issues before the public.

Voters are missing an opportunity to see Rob Wallace and Wayne Herriman in a formal debate before an Aug. 28 runoff election determines the Democratic nominee for the 2nd Congressional District.

Wallace has proposed a debate.

Herriman has said the voters have had ample opportunity to hear from him and other candidates at about a dozen events throughout the sprawling 2nd District.

None of those events, however, was a formal debate.

The debate has long been used as a tool for candidates and voters.

A debate, if properly conducted, can highlight the differences between candidates.

It also can force candidates to address actual issues instead of using just two- or three-word campaign sign slogans to inform the public.

Herriman is conducting his campaign the way he sees fit, but we would encourage him to work out details for a debate.

Wallace’s campaign manager, Kyle Gott, is not doing the election process any favors in his approach to try to goad Herriman into a debate.

“I don’t know what Herriman is hiding or why he is afraid, but the voters of Oklahoma deserve better,” Gott said.

That’s a schoolyard tactic that belittles the importance of the process as well.

If Herriman does not want a debate, then Wallace’s campaign should spend the free time trying to inform the public and not waste voters’ valuable time insulting his opponent.

Voters deserve better than that, too.

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