24 Comments - Henry Francis - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 9:47 am: Looks like Irvin is scared to debate the candidates that are polling over 2%. - Big Dipper - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 9:47 am: Whichever station issued the invites second should do the honorable thing and reschedule. - Pundent - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 9:52 am: A dumb decision rendering both “debates” meaningless. And the stations are as complicit as the campaigns. - Jocko - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 9:52 am: It’s a shame neither station has equipment that would allow the other to broadcast remotely. - cermak_rd - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 9:56 am: Does it matter in these days when people can set their DVRs and livestreams are usually available after the live event is over? Interested people can actually watch both (I am unsure who this segment of the political audience would be, perhaps Pol junkies?) Assumedly the questions would not be htat different from one another so one could stil gauge the candidates. - Shytown - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 9:56 am: Spot on Rich. There’s no good reason why both stations couldn’t work something out so that voters have a chance to see all of the candidates on one stage debating the issues. - Larry Bowa Jr. - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 9:58 am: Richard Irvin, demonstrating the same boldness that will invigorate Illinois and wash all scum off Ken Griffin’s streets, is unafraid to face all challengers head on, specifically, the 5th and 6th place candidates in a 6 person race, but nobody else. - Arsenal - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:05 am: ==Does it matter in these days when people can set their DVRs and livestreams are usually available after the live event is over?== I’ll do you one better, does it matter since no one will watch, anyway? The problem is, this screw up will get more attention than the debates ever could. - Back to the Future - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:06 am: I would also like to see a debate between the Democratic candidates for Governor. As to the post, I agree that our major media outlets regarding this primary election are not serving our community in terms of meeting their obligation to provide information on the primary candidates - - other than selling advertising space on their outlets. - Pundent - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:06 am: =Does it matter in these days when people can set their DVRs and livestreams are usually available after the live event is over?= Yes it does. Particularly when the debates amount to nothing more than “my opponent was afraid to be on the same stage as me.” - Cool Papa Bell - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:09 am: When I see networks highlight games coming up a competing network and broadcasters working across different channels and call letters this is stupid. One word - simulcast. - 47th Ward - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:14 am: The stations should be barred from calling these infomercials “debates.” At best, they are candidate forums and even that is stretching it. Used to be that tv news stations felt an obligation to lift our civic conversation above the gutter of politics as usual. But clearly that is no longer the case. - walker - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:15 am: Risky business punching down. If under-5-percenters score on Irvin that could leave a mark. - New Day - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:19 am: So dumb. So so dumb. - Pizza Man - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:27 am: disastrously debating the debate debacle. - Real - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:32 am: Looks like an inside job with Irvin/Griffin crew making sure there’s was scheduled the same night as the other. Only Irvin has been hiding from Bailey and Sullivan. - Homebody - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:32 am: The sorry state of journalism, unfortunately. - Real - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:39 am: Sullivan and Bailey should secretly work with NBC without public announcement and surprise Irvin at the NBC debate since Griffin had to pull some behind the scenes work. - Back to the Future - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 10:40 am: Personally disappointed that the Union League Club of Chicago is part of this mess. They should drop out. - Joe Bidenopolous - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 11:17 am: =Personally disappointed that the Union League Club of Chicago is part of this mess.= Griff is probably paying them too - Anthony - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 11:36 am: Why isn’t Bailey jumping debates to go up against Irvin instead? - Just Another Anon - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 1:49 pm: @Anthony That’s a great question isn’t it? You would think he would want to be where the front runner is. Maybe he thinks the mountain should come to Mohammed. I can understand not wanting to break a commitment to a media outlet for a debate. I certainly wouldn’t want to slight anyone who buys ink by the 50 gallon drum. But at some point, I agree with Rich, one outlet needs to be gracious or even better, they should merge their formats. Two moderators, no logos, joint broadcast. This coverage isn’t just to sell advertising and spike their Neilsen ratings. - Pundent - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 3:27 pm: =Why isn’t Bailey jumping debates to go up against Irvin instead?= Well you may not have noticed, but the GOP isn’t much of a fan of debates these days. Whether it’s the national organization taking on the Commission on Presidential Debates or Catalina Lauf and the League of Women Voters it seems that the candidates don’t like to answer questions. And this format now lends itself to a scenario where the lack of debate participants will overshadow the debate itself. - Oswego Willy - Friday, May 13, 22 @ 4:25 pm: There shoulda been a schedule that each camp could agree to have these (and any) debates happen, and with full attendance. This *is* embarrassing This race is to be the nominee for governor of the 6th largest state in America. Illinois deserves better Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.