Debating The Debates

How many times should congressional candidates debate before voters cast their ballots?

"At a time when so many people are becoming newly engaged in the political process and bringing with them new ideas and philosophies, I think it is important that all three candidates participate in these two debates," Donnelly wrote in a letter to Republican candidate Jackie Walorski and Libertarian candidate Mark Vogel. "That way, voters – both longtime and new – will be offered a wider array of points of view and opinions."

But Walorski said the candidates should debate no fewer than six times.

The 2nd District stretches some 60 miles from Elkhart to west of Michigan City and 90 miles from the Michigan state line to Kokomo. Two debates, Walorski reasoned, is not enough for every voter in the district to have a real opportunity to see the candidates head to head.

She said she has received nearly 12 debate requests during the past two months, and she has accepted all of them pending the availability of Donnelly and Vogel.

Donnelly suggested the candidates participate in a debate sponsored by The American Democracy Project at Indiana University South Bend to be broadcast on WNIT Television, and another sponsored by The Rochester Sentinel and WROI-FM. He said the candidates’ respective staffs should work to coordinate dates, times and guidelines for the debates.

Walorski’s campaign manager, Matt Kirby, said LaPorte, Kokomo and Cass County, for example, are not in the South Bend media market, so voters there will not be able to watch a debate on WNIT.

"We’re just saying we should give every corner of the district the opportunity to hear the three candidates," Kirby said. "Even within a media market, one debate is hardly enough to really get into more detail on some of these important topics that we’re talking about."

Donnelly’s campaign manager, Mike Schmuhl, said the two debates will enable hundreds of thousands of voters to hear the candidates discuss the issues. He added that Donnelly will travel the district extensively in August and after Congress adjourns in October to talk with voters.

Kirby said, "We understand that Congressman Donnelly has a busy schedule, and we’re happy to work around that schedule."

Sean Savage, a professor of political science at Saint Mary’s College, said it’s unusual for an incumbent to invite his challengers to debate, as Donnelly did. Typically, he said, challengers are first to propose debates.

"It’s possible this is a pre-emptive strike by the Donnelly campaign," he said.

Savage said he was not surprised Walorski called for more than two debates.

"When you have a district like this that covers several media markets from South Bend down to Kokomo, Elkhart to Michigan City, it’s not unusual to have three or four debates," he said.

However, he added, "Six, I’d say, is rather unusual."

Of course, Savage said, Walorski might have called for more debates no matter how many Donnelly proposed.

"Maybe if he called for six debates," he said, "she’d call for eight."