Curren/Bell to debate... sort of

Erik Curren and Dickie Bell will finally debate, although not before a live audience of voters as most of us probably anticipated. Sponsored by The News Leader and WHSV, the debate will air live on TV3 at 7PM on Tuesday, October 6 and will stream online at newsleader.com and whsv.com.

You may recall that Curren proposed, and Bell accepted, the concept of four debates with one in each of the jurisdictions within the 20th District. Since then Bell has adopted a strategy of weaving, bobbing, and delaying so there may not may never be debates that bring the candidates face to face with voters. So, the televised debate may be as good as it gets.

Over in the 25th District, Del. Steve Landes has inexcusably bailed out of the debate with Dr. Greg Marrow because of his "concerns of the (News Leader) editorial board not being fair and balanced...." Landes said he wanted a different moderator before the format and moderator were even discussed, according to Cindy Corell at The News Leader [emphasis added]. After getting thrashed by Marrow in a debate last week, Landes has apparently gone into hibernation mode.

With strong Democratic challengers for the first time in several election cycles, Valley Republicans don't quite seem to know how to proceed. Suddenly hollow records and bankrupt ideas are being challenged. It seems most Valley Repubs have adopted a strategy of keeping their mouths shut and laying low. If voters remain complacent, that strategy could work, but it could just as easily backfire in the last weeks of the campaign as people awake to the GOP evasion. Nobody likes candidates who hide from their own record, views, and voters. You are supposed to run for something, not from yourself.

Back in the 20th District we find Erik Curren proposing a well thought out plan to create jobs. Dickie Bell, as seems to be his mode of operation, was caught flatfooted and could only react to reporters' questions. Think we need more debates?

So let's see. In the 20th District we have a forward thinking candidate like Erik Curren who is putting ideas on the table OR we have Dickie Bell who is kicked back on his heels blindly reacting to Curren's proposals with generic talking points. What the hell do you expect, he didn't even think ahead enough to deal with his employment issues. And in the 25th, Del. Landes is hiding from Dr. Greg Marrow and the voters, apparently refusing more debates and blaming the media, his opponent... anybody but himself for his woes.

Election Day is but a month away. Tick Tock. The choices get clearer by the day.