Spate of debates will give R.I. congressional candidates chances to carve off slices of support
This article originally appeared in the Boston Globe on August 7, 2023 and was written by Edward Fitzpatrick.
Below is executive director John Marion’s comments about the importance of debates between even the most similar candidates, and why debates are a public good.
John M. Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, said the busy debate schedule will give candidates lots of chances to secure chunks of support in what is expected to be a low-turnout special election. The primary is Sept. 5, and the special election is Nov. 7.
Marion said the Democratic candidates might agree on a lot of issues, but the debates will provide an opportunity to define what issues they would prioritize if they made it to D.C. Members of Congress tend to specialize in certain policy areas, he said, noting that former US representative David N. Cicilline specialized in antitrust matters, US Senator Jack Reed focuses on defense issues, and US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse concentrates on judicial ethics and climate change.
“Everyone might be pro-choice,” he said of the candidates, “but someone might want to make a career out of the pro-choice issue versus checking a box.”
The August debates also will offer a chance to drill down on topics of interest to the host organizations, Marion said. “If you have an hour devoted to some narrower topic, people have a chance to learn about where the candidates stand on the more specific topics,” he said.
Another benefit will come from how debates can shape news coverage, Marion said. Without candidate forums, media coverage tends to focus on polling and the “horse race,” or on press releases and news conferences where candidates are trying to get a message out on their own terms, he said.
“In debates, candidates are held accountable for their message by both the moderators and their opponents,” he said, “so the coverage is often more substantive.”
Marion said the Democratic candidates might agree on a lot of issues, but the debates will provide an opportunity to define what issues they would prioritize if they made it to D.C. Members of Congress tend to specialize in certain policy areas, he said, noting that former US representative David N. Cicilline specialized in antitrust matters, US Senator Jack Reed focuses on defense issues, and US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse concentrates on judicial ethics and climate change.
“Everyone might be pro-choice,” he said of the candidates, “but someone might want to make a career out of the pro-choice issue versus checking a box.”
The August debates also will offer a chance to drill down on topics of interest to the host organizations, Marion said. “If you have an hour devoted to some narrower topic, people have a chance to learn about where the candidates stand on the more specific topics,” he said.
Another benefit will come from how debates can shape news coverage, Marion said. Without candidate forums, media coverage tends to focus on polling and the “horse race,” or on press releases and news conferences where candidates are trying to get a message out on their own terms, he said.
“In debates, candidates are held accountable for their message by both the moderators and their opponents,” he said, “so the coverage is often more substantive.”
Marion said the Democratic candidates might agree on a lot of issues, but the debates will provide an opportunity to define what issues they would prioritize if they made it to D.C. Members of Congress tend to specialize in certain policy areas, he said, noting that former US representative David N. Cicilline specialized in antitrust matters, US Senator Jack Reed focuses on defense issues, and US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse concentrates on judicial ethics and climate change.
“Everyone might be pro-choice,” he said of the candidates, “but someone might want to make a career out of the pro-choice issue versus checking a box.”
The August debates also will offer a chance to drill down on topics of interest to the host organizations, Marion said. “If you have an hour devoted to some narrower topic, people have a chance to learn about where the candidates stand on the more specific topics,” he said.
Another benefit will come from how debates can shape news coverage, Marion said. Without candidate forums, media coverage tends to focus on polling and the “horse race,” or on press releases and news conferences where candidates are trying to get a message out on their own terms, he said.
“In debates, candidates are held accountable for their message by both the moderators and their opponents,” he said, “so the coverage is often more substantive.”
Marion said Rhode Island is seeing a lot of debates because this is a competitive race. “When you have a race with small margins, a candidate can’t risk offending even a small slice of the electorate by not showing up at a debate,” he said.
If the race included a clear front-runner, that candidate could dictate the terms of when and where to debate, Marion said. “The joke when I was a kid was that (then New York governor) Mario Cuomo always was such a favorite that he would only debate his Republican opponent on PBS on Friday night opposite a Yankees playoff game,” he said.
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