Political debates are like athletic contests, and this season's schedule of 15 official confrontations in the race for City Hall emphasizes the most significant similarity, the need for endurance to maintain intensity and focus until the final buzzer, or even into overtime.
Like college basketball, the three most important periods of political debate are the first three minutes of the game (for each participant), the first three minutes of the second half (when audience concentration has begun to wane and a booster question reignites the energy) and the final three minutes, usually closing statements. Like a boxing match, contestants usually waste the early rounds feeling each other out. Like football, the delivery of a vicious (verbal) hit often holds more lasting impression than the final score. Like soccer, that score may be indeterminable, a frustrating tie after a dulling ebb and flow of seeming (to the American sensibility) inaction.
As with all sports, individual as well as team, triumph depends on going all out, taking appropriate risks, eliminating mistakes and building and keeping the Big Mo(mentum). In both, playing not to lose, even when comfortably ahead on points, will probably result in victory slipping into the hands of an opponent.
While Syracuse mayoral candidates may have stumped together on more occasions since 1848 when Harvey Baldwin was first to move into City Hall, the debates preceding the election of 2005 will be noted as the most varied in sponsorship and target audience in that span. Ranging from the Sept. 27 teen-moderated square-off at the Buzz TV studio of the School of the heArts to the Syracuse United Neighbors clash, stops in between focused on the concerns of real estate agents, people with disabilities and the under-40 set, among others.
Traditional venues haven't been supplanted, however, with face-offs scheduled for Thursday Morning Roundtable at Drumlins on Oct. 6, the League of Women Voters on Oct. 12, two radio stations and four television channels. Standards for participation are generally consistent, with Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins, who qualified for the ballot, included with Democrat incumbent Matt Driscoll and Republican- Conservative-Independence challenger Joanie Mahoney on all but one debate. "I'm still waiting to hear back from Syracuse 20/20," Hawkins said of the collaborative News 10 Now live broadcast scheduled for WHEN-AM 620 on Oct. 19. "I responded to their Web site agenda, but there's been no word on the debate."
Jacob Roberts, a declared write-in candidate who failed to gather enough signatures on nominating petitions to establish a YES Syracuse line on the ballot, participated in the Buzz TV debate, but is not slated for anymore match-ups. Responses to his contention that he should be included in debates concurred that anyone could declare themselves a write-in candidate and make similar demands. That view was affirmed by the Syracuse Crunch with last month's announcement that the mascot for their American Hockey League team, Al the Ice Gorilla, would also be running a write-in campaign for mayor.
"It's tongue-in-cheek, partly," a Crunch official explained. "We're trying to have some fun and promote the team." But partly, the official added, the move was in response to what was seen as a "humdrum" race, and also in part a tweak to a city administration that the Crunch feels has taken the team somewhat for granted after 12 years of attracting more than 200,000 people downtown for Onondaga County War Memorial games every season.
The New Times is getting in on the action, as well, with a debate slated for Friday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m., in the Hosmer Auditorium at the Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison St. Panelists asking questions of Driscoll, Mahoney and Hawkins include New Times Senior Editor Walt Shepperd, Urban CNY publisher Ken Jackson and WAER-FM 88.3 news producer and Morning Edition host Catherine Komp. WAER has yet to determine whether its broadcast will be live or tape-delayed.
The debate is free and open to the public. Audience members will be able to submit questions in writing for consideration for use in the debate if they are willing to identify themselves by name, residence and party affiliation.
--Walt Shepperd
Posted by syracusegreens at October 5, 2005 01:13 AM