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[I accidentally deleted this post. All the comments are gone. I’m really sorry. But here it is again.]
[UPDATE: I’ve rebuilt the comments for the post.]
I just got off the phone with James Bennett, the editor of the Southern Illinoisan. The SI is sponsoring a gubernatorial debate on September 26th and Bennett and other sponsors have said before that if any candidate scored at least 5 percent in an independent poll that they would be invited.
As you know, the Tribune poll has the Green Party’s Rich Whitney at 6 percent so Whitney was invited to participate this morning.
No word yet on the Blagojevich campaign response. Mr. Bennett said he hadn’t heard back from them yet. I’ll fire off an e-mail in a few minutes.
The governor previously indicated that he was opposed to inviting Whitney, and at least one other debate sponsor had strongly hinted that he feared Blagojevich would pull out of his debate if Whitney was invited.
UPDATE: I just talked to Mike Lawrence, whose Southern Illinois University’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is also a co-sponsor. Mike stressed that neither of the two major party candidates have formally agreed to the debate in writing, although there has been plenty of interest.
I got the feeling that if Gov. Blagojevich nixes the Whitney idea, the invitation could be withdrawn.
Stay tuned…
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:18 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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I’m going to post the deleted comments…
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:19 pm
Yellow Dog Democrat…
Won’t be the first time that Rod Blagojevich has left downstate Illinois feeling abandoned.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:20 pm
Squideshi…
You must be referring to James Anderson, News Director for the Illinois Radio Network. About 50 radio stations are affiliated with IRN, including WBBM. James Anderson won’t allow Rich Whitney to participate in the IRN debate because he’s so afraid that Blagojevich will withdraw. He’s willing to jeapordize the license and tax-exempt status of the affiliate stations, just because he feels that he must have a debate between Rod and Judy.
Incidentally, even though affiliated with public and government-controlled radio stations, IRN is private and for-profit, owned by Saga Communications, a Deleware corporation based in Michigan. James Anderson has indicated that he is running a business and has to obligation to invite Rich Whitney. It’s too bad that he doesn’t feel a committee to fair and accurate journalism.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:20 pm
Squideshi…
Second from last sentence should read:
James Anderson has indicated that he is running a business and has NO obligation to invite Rich Whitney.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:21 pm
bored now…
having been involved in debate negotiations, i know that debates are only formally sponsored by the “independent” organization and that they are really what the two major candidates want them to be. it’s always a game of chicken. by reaching the 5% threshold, whitney forces blagojevich’s hand, and at least we will have a good idea about his communications strategy for the rest of the campaign.
there are lots of ways to manipulate this whole process, so it will be interesting to see what tricks rod and judy have up their sleeves. personally, if i were connected to the governor’s campaign, i would urge them to agree to this debate, to include whitney, but force every single concession i could — and not formally agree until the last minute. but they say i’m an a**hole, so…
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:21 pm
moderate…
chicken.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:21 pm
Diversity of Thought…
I just hope rest of the media jumps on Rod if he tries to sabotage any debate with Rich Whitney in it. I don’t think anyone can really make the argument that the Greens haven’t earned the right at this point.
They collected 39,000 signatures for a 25,000 signature requirement. They battled the Democrats in court over the legitamcy of those signatures and WON. Then everyone said they wouldn’t be able to garner broad public support, but after running an intelligent campaign on a low budget they’re now polling at 6%.
Over 3.5 million people voted in the 2002 election for governor. 6% represents over 200,000 people in our state. Another 15%, or over half a million voters, are undecided. Blagojevich (or Topinka) playing politics with the debates at this point is just an insult to the voters.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:22 pm
fedup dem…
If Rod chickens out, have the organizers of the debate get a cardboard cutout of him, dressed up like Elvis Presley’s role in “Jailhouse Rock.” I suspect Rod will be wearing something similar once the US Attorney and a jury are finished with him in any event!
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:22 pm
Squideshi…
Say hello to Cluckovich, the Democracy Chicken.
Say, is that Judy Baar Topinka?
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:23 pm
ZC…
Hard to argue with the Greenies’ logic here. I think in this case my interests as a partisan Democrat have to yield to a basic sense of fair play.
Memo to Rod: bwawk bwawk.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:23 pm
upset democrat…
One has to wonder why the two main parties are so afraid of third party candidates. Could it be that maybe whe voters are tired of politics continued to be replayed. Shoe boxes,horse racing stocks,campaign contributions, and birthday checks for the kids?
My dog runs out of the room any time there is a campaign ad on for either party.
Let alll three candidates debate the issues. Are we afraid that the third party candidate might take too many votes away from one or the other major party candidates? Let voters be inform because all the negative ads do is turn us off.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:23 pm
Wish Rod would just cut the posturing stuff and just debate any and all comers. This my way or the highway stuff is amateur crap that just makes him look bad. If he is a poor debater, then practice as much as he needs. If he is embarrassed about what he may be asked, practice those smooth talking points. He is the front runner and needs to look better.
Comment by zatoichi Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 5:49 pm
If there is a debate, hope they have adequate security in place to check Topinka for rolling pins.
Comment by NoneOfTheAbove Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 6:08 pm
and daggers, swords, –if she yells, e tu, Blago, somebody please stop her
Comment by anonymous Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 6:21 pm
“Testicular verility”
“A little less talk, a lot more action.”
Looks like Rod “Golden Gloves” Blagojevich has a political yellow streak a mile long.
Not too bright, either. It’s not like losing a debate in Carbondale is going to cost him much, since he’s polling so poorly down there anyway.
Whitney will get much more press coverage from all of the news stories about how Rod’s afraid to debate him than he would from the debate itself.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 6:47 pm
Whitney is going to get a lot of downstate support for his position on carrying concealed weapons that otherwise might have been looking at JBT. I don’t agree with it but a lot of downstaters do. This could really cut into her numbers.
Comment by tough guy Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 7:35 pm
I hope Topinka doesn’t take her cues from Rod and turn tail as well. I think they should have the debate regardless of whether Rod will be there or not. Something tells me if they do go forward, he might skulk in, late as usual.
Comment by M.V. Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 8:35 pm
If the Virility King shows up late, keep HIM off the debate, just for his usual rudeness!!!
Comment by Martha Mitchell Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 10:13 pm
Give Rod a break. Carbondale is a rough town. He may just be afraid of getting a creampie in the kisser like George did. Imagine what that would do to the ‘do.
Comment by NumbersGuy Tuesday, Sep 12, 06 @ 11:10 pm
The Governor is an excellent debater and always does well in front of a crowd. If Judy has to check her rolling pin and Whitney doesn’t have his concealed weapon on him then, it won’t be much of a contest. Yellow Dog Republican must have finally gotten a job with the Whitney campaign. I bet the pay is lousy.
Comment by Bill Wednesday, Sep 13, 06 @ 5:42 am
I don’t think Blago is going to nix the invite, he just can’t accept until he can figure out where Carbondale is in Illinois. Has he ever been that far south? Does his pilot have a flight plan that goes past Springfield?
Comment by Shallow Pharnyx Wednesday, Sep 13, 06 @ 7:28 am
Bill, the pay for any Whitney campaign worker is bad–it’s all VOLUNTEER! Unlike people working for Blagojevich, these people are passionate.
Comment by Squideshi Wednesday, Sep 13, 06 @ 10:41 am
Squideshi,
Money talks,my friend, but good luck.
I’ll see you at the debates.
Comment by Bill Wednesday, Sep 13, 06 @ 11:58 am