A few days ago, The Graham Star sponsored a candidate forum for the local school board, sheriff and county commission. All the candidates were Republicans, because there are no Democratic or Unaffiliated candidates in the primary.
The forum was elucidating. The candidates expressed themselves in an understandable manner and responded to the questions moderated by The Graham Star’s staff writer, Randy Foster.
There were an abundance of candidates and a rather large audience for a Saturday evening. Some candidates could not make it with justification. The absent candidates were given an opportunity to respond to the questions electronically.
Why was the forum a good thing? Because we live in a democracy and we need to understand the candidates’ positions before we vote.
Keep in mind that early and absentee voting is already underway for the May 17 primary. If you are not a Republican, don’t yawn and say – like Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman – “What, me worry?” Under North Carolina election law, if you are registered Unaffiliated you can ask for a Republican ballot and get to vote for these candidates. That is a smart thing to do, in order to shape the contests in the fall when members of all parties will be on the ballot.
Debates are nothing new. Some historians think the seven Lincoln/Douglas Senatorial debates in Illinois led to the Civil War. This is because Lincoln made it clear he thought slavery must come to an end. His folksy, “Honest Abe” style won over the electorate and he went to Congress.
A few years later, he went to the White House. This was a signal to the Southern states that the issue had come to a head and they decided to secede.
The Nixon/Kennedy debates were the first to be televised. Kennedy was handsome and exuded youthful energy. Nixon was ill, sweated profusely and had a five o’clock shadow. The televised image really hurt Nixon and helped Kennedy, who won by less than one million votes.
The arguments over the debate format led to the 1987 formation of the Commission on Presidential Debates, as a joint effort of the Republican and Democratic National Committees.
The debates worked pretty well until the debacle of the 2016 debates, in which none of the candidates distinguished themselves. In fact, they all deserved scorn.
Now, the Republican National Committee wants to “reform” the debates, due to bias, poor decision-making and reluctance to make needed reforms. The specific allegation is that Steve Scully of C-Span – who moderated a debate with Biden and Trump – had worked for Biden. Therefore, he was biased.
Well, to unpack this disinformation, he did work for Biden in his mail room during college for six weeks to fulfill a course requirement. Says Scully, “I sorted mail and never even got a picture with the guy.”
Five of the ten members of the commission are Republicans who must take a loyalty oath to the party before they are appointed. Faith is a loyalty oath. Putting your family and your country first is a loyalty oath. A litmus test of blind obedience to a candidate is an abhorrent thing.
Whether you attend or watch candidate forums and debates, get out and vote in the primary.
If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain.
Roger Carlton writes a bi-weekly column for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, rcarlton57@hotmail.com.