One guy drank a pop. The other one had a cup of coffee and
forty-five minutes laters, they agreed to one debate.
Congratulations to Rick Snyder and Virg Bernero for finally
doing what could have been accomplished weeks ago without all the
bluster, bravito, chest thumping, etc. etc.
It's not necessary to recount all the nasty back and forth,
but let's just say neither of these would-be governors came out
smelling like a rose as a result of their stubborn inability to agree
in the first place.
The log jam was broken when Benero showed up, unannounced,
at one of those infamous Snyder town hall meetings. As a result the
two agreed to sit down and chat.
They did and now voters will get one chance to compare and
contrast each of them at the same time instead of relying on their
distorted TV ads which are not the best way to decide an election.
What has been amazing about this whole thing is that there
are still some folks who could care less about debates.
One Neanderthal in West Michigan who attended a political
luncheon speech proudly announced he didn't need to see any debates,
"My mind is already made up."
Yep, don't confuse him with the facts; he's got all the info
he needs to decide…based on TV commercials. Ugh.
Then in another seminar on the campaign, some observed that
debates were not helpful since candidates only repeated their
well-honed sound bites. You can hear Mr. Snyder now: "I have a
ten-point plan to reinvent Michigan" while Mr. Bernero crows, "It's my
Main Street agenda vs. his Wall Street agenda."
This, of course, can be avoided if the folks moderating
the debate craft some questions that don't lend themselves to a repeat
of that worn out campaign dribble.
Here's hoping some new and useful ground is broken so
voters can make a more informed decision on which of these guys is best
for the state and thank you gentlemen for the chance to see that.