Cav. Daily: The debates sucked.

On 21 July 2005 with 5 comments

UVa’s Cavalier Daily has a good lead editorial today about the recent Kaine/Kilgore debate:

If Saturday’s debate verged on useless due to the cloistered nature of the supposedly democratic exercise, it became shameful when Russ Potts was excluded. Potts, a four-term state senator running as an independent, was barred from the debate after Republican candidate Jerry Kilgore threatened to pull out if Potts was on the stage.

Potts had every right to be up there, pressing Kilgore and Kaine as is the necessary role of third parties. Potts is not some loon who collected a few thousand signatures on a candidacy petition; he is polling at five percent. If Kilgore refused or continues refusing to show up for a debate containing Potts (and the same goes for Kaine), the charges of cowardice ring true; it is farcical to shut out a legitimate candidate because another one is whining.

Virginians gleaned only the most marginal of benefits from Saturday’s debate. If the goal of competitive elections is to produce the best official, events that are not broadcast live, are not accessible to ordinary citizens and are not filled with every reasonable candidate simply fail. As November continues to approach, everyone associated with the election would do well to remember that.

Last I checked, the Cavalier Daily’s editorial board was rather conservative, but that was in the spring semester. (Or maybe I’m confusing it with The Collegiate Times, which is VT’s answer to the Cav. Daily. You know, like Bob Denton is VT’s answer to Larry Sabato, or The Monkees were the United States’ answer to Britain’s Beatles.) I don’t know where their board lies during the summer semester, but I agree with ‘em one way or another. I do, though, know where their columnists lie — on the floor of the office after streaking the lawn.

Hat tip to Duane Gran.

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