Dan Malloy, the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate for Governor, today invited fellow Democrat and gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont to a series of public debates on the major issues facing Connecticut. Malloy asked that Lamont join him in debates that would be sponsored by local media outlets in every community across Connecticut that's home to a daily newspaper; most of these communities also have local radio stations. In addition, Malloy said he would ask new media - online news sites and blogs - to play an active role as well, in order to share the conversations with as many voters as possible.
"Every election cycle, voters and the media say the same thing - that it should be a campaign that focuses on a substantive debate of the critical issues we're facing," said Malloy. "Well they're right, it should be that way, and it's in that spirit that I'm making this proposal. Let's have some old-fashioned, kitchen table style debates, and let's do them in public across the state. It's time that we put our ideas on the table, and our faith in the voters to make the best choice."
Continued Malloy, "In the past, due to the fact that I had to spend countless hours raising money, I couldn't have realistically issued this invitation. After qualifying for the Citizens' Election Program, I'm liberated from the old way of doing things, and I want to take full advantage of it by giving the people of Connecticut a campaign they can be proud of. And, since Ned will be relying largely on his family's wealth, he'll also have the time to do this. He has no reason not to take me up on this offer."
Malloy said he planned to call Lamont this afternoon, and to invite him to work cooperatively to put this series of debates together. He also said his campaign will reach out to the Connecticut Daily Newspaper Association, the Connecticut Broadcasters Association, and individual local media outlets as potential partners in the effort.
"There are some very real differences in this campaign, and we should want to talk about them as often as possible, and in public - I sure do," continued Malloy. "Ned thinks his background as a cable executive has prepared him to be Governor. I think my background as a prosecutor and Mayor of Connecticut's most successful city is better preparation for the job. I'm for paid sick days, Ned's against them. I believe deeply in the state's Clean Elections Program, Ned doesn't. The list goes on."
"I hope he will join me in giving Connecticut a different kind of campaign - one it can truly be proud of," concluded Malloy. "And who knows, maybe we can set a new standard for what campaigns in Connecticut are all about, and for what voters should expect from candidates. We're all familiar with the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Obviously I'm not putting either one of us in that company, but... wouldn't it be fun if our legacy was the Malloy-Lamont debates of 2010?"
This could have been a great idea, an effort to elevate the discourse, if not marred by the same ad hominem attacks and distortions, not to mention outright discourtesy and hostility, we have seen repeatedly in the last few days.
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