Trump-backed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake wants to debate. The Clean Elections Committee wants to hold the debate. The people of Arizona want to see the debate. But Democrat Katie Hobbs doesn’t want to face Lake under any circumstances.
The excuses the Hobbs campaign has tossed out there have been feeble, but it appears they’re going to stick with it. And why shouldn’t they? Corporate media in the state and nationwide has done everything they can to oppose Lake as an America First candidate and to prop up Hobbs as their chosen Democrat du jour. From the perspective of the Hobbs campaign, why risk exposing themselves and their weak candidate by putting her face-to-face with Lake?
For her part, Lake has done everything she can to get Hobbs on stage with her. She offered to let Hobbs pick the moderator. She even offered to let the Hobbs campaign write the questions. The only way it makes any sense for Hobbs to continue to duck the debate is if her campaign feels they cannot win it.
In reality, they can’t. Now, Lake is trying a last ditch effort by asking for the deadline to be extended all the way to the day of the debate. This is a smart move because it forces Hobbs to continue to answer for her cowardice instead of simply moving on. At this stage, it would be crazy for Hobbs to continue to dodge the debate stage because doing so would send the crystal clear message to Arizona voters that she’s truly to scared to face Lake. Here’s Lake’s message to the people and to Katie Hobbs herself:
“For the first time in the history of our state, there will be Clean Elections Gubernatorial Debate. Bucking state tradition, my opponent, Katie Hobbs, has made it official she will not share a debate stage with me under any circumstance.
“To be honest, I’m not entirely thrilled with the idea of sharing a debate stage with a twice-convicted racist like Katie Hobbs. I have made it abundantly clear that I would do so because the Arizona voters deserve nothing less than to hear from both of us.
“Now, I’d like to speak directly to you, Katie. You think this issue is going to go away, that Arizonans will just throw up their hands and say, ‘Oh well, no debate this year.’
“Well, you’re sorely mistaken. I have asked the Clean Elections Commission to extend the deadline for you to confirm your attendance to the day of the debate. Should you grow a spine between now and October 12, there will be an empty chair waiting for you on the debate stage. I hope to see you there, Katie.”
Watch:
Once again, I am speaking directly to @katiehobbs. pic.twitter.com/uL7XEKFPRB
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) September 13, 2022
It is unfair to Arizona voters to deny them the opportunity to see the two gubernatorial candidates square off. But Democrats like Katie Hobbs want people to stay in the dark. They NEED people to know as little about Hobbs AND Lake as possible.
