Michigan task force aims to spark further political debate in the state

One of the ongoing debates in the political world is whether it’s even worth holding debates between candidates anymore.

Is it really something that helps inform voters? At least one new group says debates, if conducted properly, can definitely educate voters.

The Michigan Debate Task Force is a coalition of 10 educational and business organizations across the state.

Dave Dulio, distinguished professor of political science at the University of Auckland and a founding member of the task force, said: The group said it is starting by focusing on the Michigan Senate race.

Dulio said the task force wants to take the process of launching discussions out of the hands of political operatives.

listen: Dave Dulio, founder of the Michigan Debate Task Force, talks about efforts to foster more political discussion in the state.

Distinguished Professor Dave Dulio, University of Auckland: (Edited for clarity) That’s the real reason behind the task force and why we started this effort in the first place. The debate that’s happening here in Michigan, and has been for many past election cycles, has been driven by candidates. Will debates occur, how many times, and when? The 2022 election cycle was the very low point for candidate debates in Michigan. There were none among candidates for secretary of state or attorney general, and only two among candidates for governor, but neither before absentee ballots were in the hands of voters. What we want to do is say to candidates, “Look, you’re making these decisions based on your interests and what’s best for you and your campaign. We understand.” But that doesn’t necessarily equate to what’s in the public interest or what’s good for voters. ” So what we want to do is have one of three debates before each voting option is available to people across Michigan. Once before absentee ballots are cast, once before early voting begins, and of course, once before Election Day.

QUINN KLINEFELTER, WDET NEWS: And you also try to convince them that this is good for democracy, whether it does anything for your campaign or not. Is it?

DD: Yeah. I think the amount of attention we generate will make it difficult, if not impossible, for candidates to shy away.

QK: MeAlthough it may not be very effective in informing the public, the reality is that if there is a candidate who is far ahead in the polls, some of them may be underperforming in some way. Some people may not want to participate in a debate because they feel that it is just a matter of becoming a person. . What would you say to such a candidate?

DD: That was certainly the case in the recent campaign here in Michigan. But that’s why this (U.S. Senate) election in this election cycle is the perfect time to start this effort. Since this is an open seat race, it is highly unlikely that either candidate will have a significant advantage no matter who emerges from the primary. They all share their own visions of what it means to be a Michigan senator, what they hope to accomplish during their time in office, and why they should be the next senator rather than their opponent. will be faced with the need to communicate this to voters. Therefore, our hope is that these candidates are excited about this opportunity and look forward to interacting with each other. Looking at how the dynamics of this campaign are shaping up, this is going to be a tough one all the way to the end, and it’s a very different situation than when an incumbent runs against a weaker challenger. will produce. That’s not the case this time.

QK: Some People are wondering whether there is any value in the period of discussion. Some people complain that it often sounds like one person is repeating the main points of a typical stump speech, followed by the other person doing the same thing. There’s very little actual back-and-forth discussion. And a lot of times, when there’s an interaction, especially these days, it ends up sounding a little bit mean. Do you think your argument can address these issues in any way?

DD: I hope we can do that. It is true that the task force cannot control what the candidates themselves say. But having a strong moderator who can ask probing follow-up questions and chastise candidates who don’t answer questions will be important. We will do our best to make this happen. We ultimately believe that the debate is going to be high and the candidates that are going to be in these debates, maybe not this election cycle, maybe not the next election cycle, but in future election cycles. , they want to get to a point where they know what’s expected of them and know what direction they’re going to go. Participate in a polite and respectful way that actually shows your candidacy, rather than trying to bring someone else down.

QK: “private” “Respectfully” is not a word you often hear today when it comes to debates between candidates, for example in the U.S. Senate. When you’re talking about getting candidates that meet certain criteria, how do you approach considering third party, fourth party, or fifth party candidates? Among these seats? Some seats have more than a dozen candidates running for a single office. Where is the line drawn between “should be allowed to discuss” and “should not be discussed”?

DD: At some point, you have to cut it off, right? What we decided is that the criteria is fairly simple. All correct documentation must be submitted to the Michigan State and Federal Election Commission by the deadline. Your campaign website should include a policy statement that clearly outlines your agenda and vision for your term in office. Candidates were supposed to be featured in the media as statewide candidates. And the final issue, and probably the one that will be primarily criticized, is the 5% threshold in polls from the month before the debate begins.

QK: Therefore, it is possible to participate in voting even if you are not actually eligible to participate in the debate.

DD: As is the case with many debates across the country, that’s true.