Monday morning quarterbacking...
Some interesting developments over the weekend in terms of the gubernatorial contest.
Incumbent Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell was a no show at a weekend candidates' forum hosted by CT Parent Power, sending instead her running mate, Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Michael Fedele. Also...tomorrow, CCM, the statewide organization representing cities and towns, will hold its annual convention in Cromwell and has invited Rell and Democratic challenger John DeStefano to attend for a forum discussion. DeStefano will be there - and again, Rell is sending her running mate to represent her.
But that wasn't the only "interesting" part of the Saturday conference - although more than a few participants did express some disappointed in her not showing. Also invited to the conference at Middlesex Community College was Green Party candidate Clifford Thornton, who, due to a nasty case of pneumonia was unable to attend and sent instead his running mate Jean de Smet of Willimantic.
While both DeStefano and Fedele were given anywhere between 12 and 15 minutes to make opening remarks and answer three questions - de Smet was forced to sit in the front row, and then only allowed three minutes to address the audience - three minutes for an opening remark and to answer the same three questions. (For the record, she did make the most of that brief time, and was rather well received by the crowd.)
Saturday's parents' conference came the morning after it was learned that next Monday's gubernatorial debate at the Garde Arts Center in New London lost one of its sponsors - the League of Women Voters. It seems the League decided that the Green Party candidate for governor did qualify to be part of the debate - and went as far as extending him an invitation to join Rell and DeStefano on stage. But the DeStefano camp allegedly objected, and the debate's major sponsor, The Day, rescinded the invitation - resulting in the League withdrawing as a sponsor.
Now...I'm not going to criticize anyone, because we do the same thing. This week we'll launch our special election Web page on the U.S. Senate race that will feature video of the three "major" candidates in that race - incumbent US Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Democratic nominee Ned Lamont and GOP challenger Alan Schlesinger. We mention that there are two other 'minor party' candidates in the race and do provide links to their respective campaign Web pages. But we didn't include them in the editorial board interview.
But it does make me wonder. These minor party candidates have to gather a significant amount of signatures on petitions to qualify for a spot on the ballot. We all know that that isn't necessarily a sign of support - but it is a "qualification" that they have to meet. And then, once they meet it, we tend to ignore them, arguging that they need to demonstrate some sense that they can actually be a factor in the race.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. How much time should be given to these minor party candidates? Should they be treated equally with the major candidates, or should they have to demonstrate some sense of wider appeal among voters?
Incumbent Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell was a no show at a weekend candidates' forum hosted by CT Parent Power, sending instead her running mate, Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Michael Fedele. Also...tomorrow, CCM, the statewide organization representing cities and towns, will hold its annual convention in Cromwell and has invited Rell and Democratic challenger John DeStefano to attend for a forum discussion. DeStefano will be there - and again, Rell is sending her running mate to represent her.
But that wasn't the only "interesting" part of the Saturday conference - although more than a few participants did express some disappointed in her not showing. Also invited to the conference at Middlesex Community College was Green Party candidate Clifford Thornton, who, due to a nasty case of pneumonia was unable to attend and sent instead his running mate Jean de Smet of Willimantic.
While both DeStefano and Fedele were given anywhere between 12 and 15 minutes to make opening remarks and answer three questions - de Smet was forced to sit in the front row, and then only allowed three minutes to address the audience - three minutes for an opening remark and to answer the same three questions. (For the record, she did make the most of that brief time, and was rather well received by the crowd.)
Saturday's parents' conference came the morning after it was learned that next Monday's gubernatorial debate at the Garde Arts Center in New London lost one of its sponsors - the League of Women Voters. It seems the League decided that the Green Party candidate for governor did qualify to be part of the debate - and went as far as extending him an invitation to join Rell and DeStefano on stage. But the DeStefano camp allegedly objected, and the debate's major sponsor, The Day, rescinded the invitation - resulting in the League withdrawing as a sponsor.
Now...I'm not going to criticize anyone, because we do the same thing. This week we'll launch our special election Web page on the U.S. Senate race that will feature video of the three "major" candidates in that race - incumbent US Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Democratic nominee Ned Lamont and GOP challenger Alan Schlesinger. We mention that there are two other 'minor party' candidates in the race and do provide links to their respective campaign Web pages. But we didn't include them in the editorial board interview.
But it does make me wonder. These minor party candidates have to gather a significant amount of signatures on petitions to qualify for a spot on the ballot. We all know that that isn't necessarily a sign of support - but it is a "qualification" that they have to meet. And then, once they meet it, we tend to ignore them, arguging that they need to demonstrate some sense that they can actually be a factor in the race.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. How much time should be given to these minor party candidates? Should they be treated equally with the major candidates, or should they have to demonstrate some sense of wider appeal among voters?
posted by Ray Hackett at 10:20 AM
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