Tomorrow they each get 5 minutes
Permalink +Mon, Jul 30, 2007, 5:43 pm // Site Management
We will probably learn a lot more about the candidates at Tuesday evening's forum at the County Courthouse. We have watched candidate positions and promises evolve over the forums so far as the candidates respond to their opponents. Tomorrow they each get 5 minutes to control and use as they want - to ask questions of one or more of their opponents, to just speak or to take questions from the audience. Five minutes to use as they wish. What every candidate wants.We need to see how candidates think and speak and respond in a live situation with the other candidates - side by side. We never get our perfect candidate. Elections are a process of making choices and often we don't very much like any of our choices. Sometimes we are delighted to learn about someone who we really want to serve us as an elected representative or administrator. Live forums allow us to judge the candidates as persons.
Candidates will reveal a lot about themselves during these five minutes. Will they ask unfair or trap questions? We will notice and judge. If asked a tough question by an opponent will they be evasive? We will observe and judge. The candidate controlling the time can cut off the evasive answer and state that the question is not being answered. The candidate with the 5 minutes totally controls those minutes as the MC. Think about it. A candidate may spend all 5 minutes giving a speech. Each can do as they wish - speaking, asking, interrupting - and we can get an insight into each candidate's internal makeup. Tis a fitting format for helping us choose.
Tis too bad the Herald will make their mayoral recommendation before this forum takes place. For the rest of us, this forum will be valuable. And having only primary candidates means we don't waste our time on races we won't vote on for three months. This is a fitting final forum for this primary election.
Tuesday, July 31 - 6:30 pm start - County Courthouse in council chamber - the Whatcom Independent forum for all city and county primary candidates - live on KGMI, 790 AM. Brett Bonner is the MC. The League of Women Voters is co-sponsoring this with the Indy. We can expect this forum to be well run and the format to be very good.
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