Maxwell, WTVH won't let Hawkins debate
Syracuse Post-Standard
Mike McAndrew
September 12th, 2008
Congressional candidates Dan Maffei and Dale Sweetland have agreed to square off in five public debates over the next seven weeks.
Third-party candidate Howie Hawkins, who is fighting an effort to knock him off the ballot for the 25th Congressional District election, has been invited to participate in four of the debates, but not in the first.
The first debate, scheduled for Oct. 15 at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, will be broadcast live by WTVH-TV, one of the co-sponsors.
Hawkins, who filed a petition to appear on the ballot as the Green Populist Party candidate, will not be allowed to participate in the one-hour event even if he is on the ballot, said Maxwell School professor Robert McClure, who will be a debate moderator along with WTVH reporter Donna Adamo.
"Our objective -- Channel 5's and Maxwell's -- is to provide voters with the kind of information, and in as much depth or detail as possible, to allow them to evaluate the two candidates, one of which will be their congressman," McClure explained.
Hawkins -- who has been on the ballot in 13 prior elections without winning -- has no chance of being elected, McClure said.
Adding Hawkins to the debate would decrease the amount of meaningful information the two major party candidates could share with viewers, McClure said.
The morning after the Maxwell School debate, all three congressional candidates have been invited to debate at SU's University College-sponsored Thursday Morning Roundtable. That debate, scheduled at 8:15 a.m. Oct. 16 at Drumlins Country Club on Nottingham Road, will be moderated by Maxwell School associate professor Grant Reeher and broadcast at 7 p.m. that night on WCNY-TV.
At the last debate, scheduled for Oct. 30 at the Jewish Community Center on Thompson Road, Hawkins is invited to participate as long as he remains on the ballot, said Paul Weichselbaum, one of the organizers.
It's unclear whether Hawkins' name will be on the ballot in the Nov. 4 election.
A hearing is scheduled today before state elections commissioners in Albany over an objection to Hawkins' nominating petitions. The objection was filed by Democratic ward chairman Dustin Czarny, a Maffei supporter, who claimed the signatures of half the 6,300 people who signed Hawkins' petition were invalid.
Hawkins said he's confident the commissioners will rule in his favor and keep him on the ballot.
If that happens, Hawkins said he plans to attend the debates and forums even if the sponsors don't want him there.
"Once I'm on the ballot, I'll be knocking on everyone's door to get in. I'll be there one way or another, whether I'm officially invited or not," he said.
The Sweetland and Maffei campaigns both said they think Hawkins should be included in the events as long as he is on the ballot.
"I think it's a disservice to the community if a candidate for any office who works hard enough to collect signatures to get on a ballot is excluded from any debates or forums," Sweetland said.
"If Howie is on the ballot, he should be allowed to be at any debate or forum," said Maffei campaign spokesman Mike Whyland.
Mike McAndrew can be reached at mmcandrew@syracuse.com or 470-3016.
Five local debates
Wednesday, Oct. 15: 6 p.m. at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, SU campus, sponsored by the Maxwell School and WTVH-TV. To be broadcast on WTVH.
Thursday, Oct. 16: 8:15 a.m. at the Thursday Morning Roundtable at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Road. To be broadcast on WCNY-TV.
Saturday, Oct. 18: 4 p.m. at Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., sponsored by 40 Below.
Wednesday, Oct. 22: 7 p.m. at WCNY-TV, 506 Old Liverpool Road, Salina. To be broadcast on WCNY-TV and WXXI-TV.
Thursday, Oct. 30: 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 5655 Thompson Road, co-sponsored by the Syracuse Jewish Federation and several other groups. To be broadcast on WSYR-TV.
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