KC-area Republicans duck and weave to avoid candidate debates, tough questions

Candidate debates and forums, once a fixture of local and state elections, are rapidly disappearing. That puts democracy at risk.

The trend of ignoring requests for debates, forums and even on-the-record interviews has been evident for some time. Political consultants have convinced candidates, and themselves, that nothing good comes from a debate or answering legitimate policy questions — only flubs and misstatements are remembered.

But the small trickle of debate dodging and excuse making turned into a tsunami this year, as scores of candidates canceled joint appearances, declined to debate or simply didn’t respond to requests.

While a few local Democrats have been guilty of this, it has primarily been a Republican phenomenon this year, as a disappointing number of GOP candidates in Kansas and Missouri have found a long list of excuses for why they couldn’t possibly spare an hour during a monthslong campaign season to discuss key issues and allow the public to better understand their policy positions.

The Star Editorial Board has invited at least 20 Republican candidates to exchange views with their Democratic counterparts. Only a handful accepted or even entertained the possibility of sitting for a joint interview with their opponent.

Our door remains open.

Suspiciously similar language in refusals

The candidates are far too busy knocking on doors, many said, using suspiciously similar language to explain away their refusal to answer questions about key issues. Others just opted for radio silence.

The Star Editorial Board interviews and researches every candidate considered for an endorsement, approaching each race individually and working to provide voters with a clear-eyed assessment of who is best prepared to be an effective public servant. The Star also publishes video from every candidate interview to allow voters to make up their own minds and ensure a transparent process.

The Editorial Board cannot recommend any candidate who does not participate in the interview process, so skipping the interview and telling us to “check out my website” won’t suffice.

Ultimately, declining debates and endorsement interviews doesn’t hurt the sponsors or the journalists, it does a disservice to voters. And it doesn’t help candidates: Talking only to the people inside your bubble makes it harder to govern if you do prevail at the polls.

The GOP’s reluctance to debate isn’t limited to The Star Editorial Board. For nearly a decade, the Shawnee Mission Post hosted forums for candidates from both parties. This year, nine candidates — all Republicans — withdrew from those discussions.

“Campaigns have a right to choose how to spend their limited resources and time,” said Kyle Palmer of the Post. “But we are disappointed for our readers, and Johnson Countians more generally. A one-sided conversation is not ideal for a democracy.”

News host Nick Haines says KCPT has struggled to arrange debates, and he now wonders if they still have value. “Every big debate we planned this election year fell apart despite months of planning,” he said.

Our former colleague, Steve Kraske at KCUR, has similar concerns. “Voters are losing the ability to size up candidates even for major offices,” he said.

“They’re losing the ability to hear directly from the candidates themselves on the big issues of the day outside of those often ridiculous 30-second TV ads.”

In Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson has ducked all but one debate with opponent Nicole Galloway. “In recent weeks, we reached out to (Parson) four times about an interview,” said a tweet from a St. Louis public radio program. “His campaign did not respond to any of those requests. The campaign also stopped responding to inquiries about a debate.”

Perhaps the governor has nothing to say.

Don’t be fooled, though. This isn’t just a media-related phenomenon. Nonpartisan groups report similar headaches in arranging candidate discussions and information.

Voters insulted, says League of Women Voters

“Candidates who refuse to answer public policy questions, whether in the online Vote411.org guide or in a virtual forum, insult those seeking answers,” said a joint statement of Ellen Miller and Amber Stenger, co-presidents of the League of Women Voters in Johnson County.

Convenience and the calendar are no excuse. “Zoom (a digital videoconference app) is easy, effective, safe and cheap,” said Sandy Eeds, president of League of Women Voters of Kansas City, and Jackson, Clay and Platte Counties.

“The League offered (candidates) an opportunity to shine, and for whatever reason, some ducked both the opportunity and their responsibility, and as a result we were unable to hold candidate forums,” he said.

These reports should concern every voter because debates matter. In 2019, The Star Editorial Board sponsored six Kansas City mayoral debates in every corner of the city. Quinton Lucas and Jolie Justus provided important insights for the 1,400 voters who attended the events, and for thousands more online.

The debates were extraordinarily valuable. Both candidates demonstrated a deep understanding of the issues facing the community. Voters used the discussions to make up their minds.

This year, most voters won’t be able to make side-by-side comparisons. Their choices will be more difficult as a result, and they will be less informed about the candidates who will represent them.

Debates and forums aren’t supposed to be about candidates and campaign strategies. They’re meant for the public. And this year, Kansas City-area voters are getting cheated.