[Vision2020] All-Candidate's Forum October 17

Sun Oct 8 08:19:13 PDT 2006

I agree, in part, with Donovan with this.  

I think it much more highly probable that important issues would be raised and some not suppressed by having the questions broadly solicited from citizens before and during the debates and then screened for relevance and inappropriateness by a small, broad-based committee during the debate.  

I am not sure that the Daily News in its present incarnation has shown that it is aware of the many community issues or has a decent understanding of the complexity of the issues.  I am not sure that the Daily News understands the concept of objectivity anymore, either, especially given the policies and some of the poorly written, fact-mistaken staff editorials.  The factual mistakes in some of these editorials reflect again on the lack of concern for accuracy and spin of some of the "stories" we read in the Daily News.

I am particularly concerned that the questions selected with the Daily News involved will be of the type that broad, milk toast answers can be given so that citizens really learn little of a candidates real views and political agendas instead of specific questions which call for more revealing answers of make an real-answer-avoiding candidate stand out.

My observations (which could be in error) are that the LWV has a much greater level of respect in the community than the Daily News.  I have attended several events in the last year.  After reading about them in the Daily News the next day wondered if the reporter and I attended the same events.  Hence, I think it would behoove the LWV to not besmirch themselves with an association with the newspaper with its present reputation and dilute the effectiveness of their used-to-be more informative forum.

Personally, I prefer a question and answer session where the questions are unscreened or screened for libelous material only, so that I can see how candidates, who must deal with the public, do it face on, live and spontaneously under the pressure of having the public watching.

I am not sure that the LWV would have the courage to use this latter format.

On a side note, I wonder if the LWV forum or any other of the local forums will be presented live in an internet video stream.

Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
deco at moscow.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Donovan Arnold 
To: fallforum at adelphia.net 
Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com 
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 5:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] All-Candidate's Forum October 17

I am sorry you elect a practice of discrimination in your candidate forum debates. I don't think it worked well last election year for you either. I think it is highly discriminatory, particularly for those that don't have access or cannot use the internet (over 30% of the population). You really expect the elderly to access the internet and ask questions, or do you not care for their participation? My guess is you forgot them and wonder why we only get a 25%-50% turn out. 

Furthermore, it is empirical fact that most of your message and communication is lost when you use this method to ask questions. Ask any communication professor. 

You have placed a giant wall between candidates and voters. 

Too sad. I won't attend your forum because of its exclusivity.

As to time constraints, 2 hours of audience questions is still two hours. 

Best,

Donovan J Arnold

fallforum at adelphia.net wrote:
  Dear Mr. Arnold.

  I'm sorry you feel this way. We chose this format not only because it worked well the last election year, but also due to time constraints. As noted in the original note, the public can send questions to the candidates through the e-mail listed . They will also be able to meet with and talk to the candidates that night.

  ---- Donovan Arnold wrote: 
  > "no questions will be taken from the audience" What the hell?
  > 
  > How dumb! As a political scientist, I can tell you this is the worst thing ever for an election. I think this is a hostile act against freedom of speech and freedom of the people to interact with candidates running for elected offices. Giving candidates canned questions is a horrible way to introduce them to the public. 
  > 
  > Part of determining a good candidate is their ability to hear, listen, and respond to another human being asking a question with emotions and feelings, and concern in their voice, and making sure they are given an answer to the question they intended to ask. It tells me their ability to relate to others. 
  > 
  > If you are not going to be able to have personal interaction, or watch personal interaction between the candidates and members of the community, why go? Just read the responses off the minutes, or watch it on TV, it will be the same thing. 
  > 
  > I think a huge human element is lost when a woman of three children cannot approach the microphone and ask about education with passion in her voice versus and has to accept someone in a monotone voice reading it off an index card, not the same thing. Huge difference. 
  > 
  > I go to debates to watch how the candidates make judgments, interact with people, and think. That is what is important to me. I usually already know their position on a proposition or education before I go, it is the human communication I want to know, what they are like as people and how they respond to a particular person with a particular concern because I want to know how they are going to respond to me when I contact two years later when I need their help. 
  > 
  > Nonverbal communication is 90% of communication. Having 90% of communication cut off does not enhance communication with voters and candidates it hinders and confuses it. 
  > 
  > I will not attend a censored debate. Waste of time, I will be telling other students the same and to just email the candidates with their questions. 
  > 
  > Best,
  > 
  > _DJA
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > Bill Moore wrote: [I was asked by the League of Women Voter's to post the following announcement to the list.]
  > 
  > The League of Women Voters of Moscow is co-sponsoring, with the Daily News, a candidates' forum. Here are the particulars:
  > 
  > All-Candidates' Forum
  > Tuesday, October 17
  > 7PM-9PM
  > Moscow High School auditorium, 401 East 3rd St.
  > 
  > We have representatives from all the US Congress, State of Idaho, Idaho legislative and Latah County offices, so far 21 candidates. We are soliciting questions from the community and will meet with the Daily News to sort them before the forum (no questions will be taken from the audience). Candidates will have time to meet with, and answer questions from, the audience members after the forum. Handicapped access can be arranged by calling Joan Klingler at 882-8853.
  > 
  > Questions to candidates can be sent to:
  > fallforum at adelphia.net
  > 
  > 
  > 
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