South Dakota Snow Queen Kristi Noem is at least deigning to one debate with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jamie Smith. Nebraska Regent, culture war fabulist, and GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen is refusing to appear on any stage or screen with his Democratic challenger, Carol Blood. Two past Nebraska governors say Pillen is depriving the voters and himself of a useful learning opportunity:
Two former governors agreed with Blood about the importance of debates. Republican Dave Heineman and Democrat Ben Nelson said Tuesday that they learned a lot about themselves and other candidates during their gubernatorial debates.
Nelson credited his last 1990 debate against then-Gov. Kay Orr in Lincoln for helping him win. When he got a chance to ask her a question, he said, he was ready to ask about why someone promising to cut spending hadn’t done so sooner.
“I think it was the difference maker for the outcome of the election,” he said. “I got a chance to express my views of why I wanted to be governor and why I would be the better person to be governor … and you can’t do that with TV ads.”
Heineman debated several times during his 2006 GOP primary win over then-U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne and businessman Dave Nabity. Heineman also debated his Democratic opponent, businessman David Hahn, and said voters learn a lot from hearing candidates articulate and defend their stances.
“It’s important for the voters and the candidates,” he said. “To share with the voters, in particular, what is your vision for Nebraska. Voters also like to see how you’re going to respond when you’re on the spot and how you react to your opponent” [Aaron Sanderford, “GOP Candidate Pillen Won’t Debate Democrat Blood in Governor’s Race,” Nebraska Examiner, 2022.08.17].
There are plenty of tactical reasons for dodging debates, but there are no good intellectual, moral, or civic reasons for refusing to discuss policy issues with competing policymakers. Quite the opposite: makers of public policy have an obligation to discuss their ideas with people of opposing views, preferably in public, so voters and the policymakers themselves can learn more about opposing views, test the validity of their own ideas, and perhaps recognize smarter, more practical and possible compromise solutions.
Debates are stupid. They have lost any value over the last 15 years. However, I’d like to see Noem and Smith debate so everyone can see “fat guy in little coat” show just how stupid he is.
It’s the debate formats typically used in candidate debates that are stupid. Debates usually just touch the surface of a string of issues, and favor candidates who have quick manufactured statements, not candidates who have deep understand of issues and can discuss them at length. As a result, the candidates we end up getting are shallow and programmed. Noem is a perfect example.
Don is correct. Best examples are the Clinton-Trump debate when Trump seemed to have lost his mind and started stalking Clinton on the state. Another is the Trump-Biden debate when Trump decided to not answer questions but blathered angry statements like a petulant child until Biden had to rein him in, aw c’mon man! Formats and enforced rules are important to keep freak shows like Trump’s childish behavior under raps.
Another thing that’s changed is the Trumpanzees. They seem incapable of listening and of independent thought. They are incurious and largely ignorant and rude. By being jerks in their natural habitats (Wal-Marts in red states, for instance), they think they have some kind of special power that makes them right 100 percent of the time and everyone else wrong 100 percent of the time. As comedian Ron White says, “you can’t fix stupid.”
I think there are still some Republicans who are reasonable, learned, curious of the world around them and intelligent. But, alas, they are a shrinking minority in their own party. For them and for independents and Democrats, debates that are conducted correctly remain an important source of information. Candidates who shun them are cowards who know they can’t withstand any objective analysis.
Steve Pearson, I thought we were above body shaming on this blog.
Here’s a pic of Jaime at the Turner County Fair. I think he’s adorable AF. Don’t you agree?
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=516368846963830&set=a.384841250116591
Steve: thanks for showing us.
steve is just mad because lots of people like jamie smith and not many people like steve.
maybe if poor stevie had spent some time developing a personality instead of just ogling adult men to see which shapes he likes best, he wouldn’t be so lonely and grumpy. oh well, steve… just remember, your self-loathing isn’t jamie’s fault, it’s just good common sense on your part.
The Lincoln-Douglas debates, far from stupid, were historic events in American politics and examples of edifying public communication.
Debates are stupid only if debaters make them stupid. Politicians of opposing views but good conscience and curiosity can have instructive debates.
I base my preference on candidates’ consideration for others. I don’t want a jerk to represent me. I also need to hear from them via improvised discussion, without a Lewendowski giving hand signals dictating which rehearsed lines to recite.
We should be hearing our candidates on every radio station, answering call-in listeners’ questions and debating one another. I have never heard Gov. Noem speak straight from the hip. She never can answer a simple question directly. Who pays for such dastardly, inconsiderate service? Dastards.
I would love the person representing me to have meat on his or her bones. Not turgid, boiled Ballpark Frank lips. I’m sorry, but it scares me. Synthetic, in and out has to be replaced with someone with a heart, mind, and big ol honkin soul.
Debates are always debate but does debate always include debates? Without debate Congress is meaningless because it exists only after many, many exhaustive debates.
Steve’s personal attack on Jamie Smith’s physique shows the superficiality of Noem’s excuse-makers. Responsible debate moves us past such immature insults and gets us to focus on logic, evidence, and policy.
The debatability is no longer debatable that talented debaters settle debate through debates. In fact, master debating is best.
Speaking of “debate formats”, public broadcasting presents one of the most neutral, informative, and educational formats. SDPB and PBS tend to stay away from the childish entertainment in their debates. What does it say about Kristi Noem when she ducks a debate on public broadcasting because she alleges SDPB is a “leftist organization”?!? If a candidate can not handle a debate on PBS, then that candidate has real issues. But, of course we know Kristi is a problem “child” in every sense of the phrase.
You know what? I haven’t a stitch of logic when it comes to this thread, and I thought I was an old, crusty, cynical b*tch, but the four images I’ve seen of Jamie Smith make me cry badly. He looks like my late husband (d 11/04/09), except Larry’s ears weren’t so sticky-outy.
Bonnie, I don’t care what Jamie Smith looks like. I care about whether a person CAN DO THE JOB of Governor. Kristi is all about the looks and appearance and that’s about it. Good looking “puppets” are easier to control my wealthy out of state interests.
Debates are the best way for the listener/viewer to get a feel for the two candidates personalities. Smith has an obvious advantage as the public wants to know who he is, and how he responds. The public has seen Mrs. Noem enough to know she has a pretty flat affect. She even appears programmed. If Smith is outgoing, maybe even a little emotional, he’ll gain stature and support as a candidate.
Arlo, not only that, but, Jamie appears to be down-to-earth like most of us. Kristi Noem comes off arrogant and out of touch. The problem for Noem is she has spent so much time on her looks that she doesn’t “relate” to the average South Dakota. With all her glamorous attire and made-up face she appears more and more like she would fit in on a Hollywood movie set. “Relatability” is a very important factor to consider.
Thank you for that chastening, Guy. I quit cutting fire wood and spent some time watching Mr. Smith’s videos; he’s practical, well spoken, compassionate, brief and to the point, logical, and smart.
He can certainly do the job of Governor in his sleep, no questions.
I sent his campaign more money than I can comfortably afford, but I’m afraid he’s screwed. He’s “relatable” but not a “cutie” like Kristi Lynn with sex appeal; no brains, no morals, but, HEY HORSIES!
Guess who South Dakota voters will elect?
I started a rumor that Trump has a third nipple. No offense to anyone born with a nubbin.
I started telling people Kristi has no anatomical parts- more like a Ken doll. No offense to Ken.
I may go to hell for also convincing my maga co-workers that she’s a vegan. I love vegans and I am sorry. .
Oh! And she doesn’t shave.. anywhere.. except her beard….
sometimes gotta fight cheap and hit low. These are those times. Go on, try it. Bonnie B’s insider skeletons are also a good way to go.
Looks like Governor Pillen is a raving racist just like Mrs. Noem is.
https://flatwaterfreepress.org/governors-comments-about-ffp-reporter-are-in-a-word-wrong/