Debates are an important part of the democratic process.
It gives voters a chance to understand where candidates stand on the issues.
But one Democrat candidate is refusing to debate her Republican opponent in an effort to keep voters in the dark.
No debates for Arizona’s candidates for Governor
It appears that Democrat candidate Katie Hobbs of Arizona doesn’t want to debate her GOP opponent Kari Lake.
The two candidates are running for the position of Arizona’s next Governor, so one would think that a proper debate would be a key part of the campaign process.
But Hobbs has publicly announced that she flat-out refuses to debate Lake, who is running as a Republican.
According to Hobbs, the goal of Lake’s campaign platform is “to cause enormous chaos” in her state.
She also called Lake a conspiracy theorist and claimed that she’d resort to “childish name-calling” if the two were to participate in a debate.
As an alternative, Hobbs will participate in a town-hall style event and answer questions on her own without Kari Lake present.
Last week, the Citizens Clean Election Committee rejected Hobbs’s request to do a separate televised town hall event.
But on Sunday, Hobbs declared that she has no intention of debating Lake, so it seems as if she’s forging ahead with her own debate-less agenda.
This huge election in Arizona is currently considered a tossup, but without an actual debate, the odds could change.
It might even swing the pendulum toward Lake and cause more Arizonians to vote for her, resulting in a massive (yet deserved) backfire on Hobbs’ plan.
Hobbs is hiding from the issues and her constituents
When a candidate refuses to debate their opponent, it’s a sign of fear and weakness.
Real candidates have conviction in their principles and know where they stand on the issues, regardless of what the other side says.
Hobbs refusing to debate Lake only puts the spotlight on her inability to stand up to her opponent and make her case for why she should become Arizona’s Governor.
Calling someone a conspiracy theorist and accusing them of doing things they haven’t even done yet isn’t exactly the best path to victory.
Yet Hobbs continues to lash out at Lake, reminding voters that Lake supports Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
Even if someone disagrees with that assessment, a proper debate is the best way to clear the air and allow voters to see where each person really stands.
Meanwhile, Lake says she will take the stage herself during the scheduled debate, regardless of whether Hobbs shows up or not.
She recently tweeted that Hobbs’ only strategy is to “hide from me, the press, and the voters throughout the entirety of this campaign.”
She’s also called Hobbs a “coward” in the past and that statement isn’t too far from the truth.
Unless and until the two candidates engage in a debate, ultimately, the voters of Arizona will suffer.
Patriot Political will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
