The Katie Hobbs for Governor Campaign formally shot down the invitation from the Citizens Election Commission to debate Kari Lake because it would deteriorate into a chaotic spectacle.
“Unfortunately, debating a conspiracy theorist like Kari Lake – whose entire campaign platform is to cause enormous chaos and make Arizona the subject of national ridicule – would only lead to constant interruptions, pointless distractions, and childish name-calling. Arizonans deserve so much better than Kari Lake, and that’s why we’re confident Katie Hobbs will be elected our next governor,” said Hobbs Campaign Manager Nicole DeMont.
“Secretary Hobbs remains willing and eager to participate in a town hall-style event, such as the forum she participated in last week in which Arizonans were able to hear directly from Secretary Hobbs about her in-depth policy plans and how she would approach governing this state.
We must respectfully decline the invitation.”
Voters only have to see the free-for-all that the Republican Gubernatorial primary candidates had in their one debate to understand the rationale of the Hobbs Campaign’s decision.
Focusing on the issues
Another reason offered by Secretary Hobbs after her successful tour of northern Arizona for the second phase of her “Solutions Can’t-Wait Tour” was that the voters are bringing up issues that affect them and their community. Hobbs toured a rural health care center in Flagstaff, honored the fallen from 9/11 in Winslow, and presented her plan for public education called A Prepared Arizona.
Secretary Hobbs said, ” I am continuing to meet voters where they are and listen to the pressing issues they’re facing. From the rising cost of groceries to securing our water future and protecting reproductive freedom, these are problems that can’t wait. And I have plans to tackle them all head-on as the next governor.”
Meanwhile, Lake has been spouting nonsense. Lake wants to overturn the 2020 election, threatens to arrest Hobbs for election “crimes,” jail journalists who report facts that contradict Lake and ludicrously claim that Venezuela altered voting machine results.
Secretary Hobbs is right that most voters are more concerned with the issues that affect them like:
- Am I going to lose my right to choose?
- Will I still be able to vote by mail?
- Is the school my children attend going to have highly qualified teachers in the classrooms?
- Will we have another water to drink and flush the toilet?
Voters want to know which one of these nominees will propose and implement policies that will lift them up, move the state forward, and make their children’s lives better.
Most are not going to be concerned about one debate encounter between Secretary Hobbs and Lake composed of sound bites and talking points that, to be fair, would have probably produced numerous viral moments from the extreme, extremely dangerous Trump Republican nominee for CNN, MSNBC, and potential campaign ads.
I just now checked the CCEC website for the congressional debates, and I still find that out of nine congressional districts, only CD5 (Andy Biggs) and CD7 (Raul Grijalva) are currently scheduled for a debate. Where are the pundits at the Arizona Republic clutching their pearls and calling candidates cowards for not debating in congressional races?
Hobbs lacks what it takes to lead. She cannot confront different views. Her Democrat opponents weren’t conspiracy theorists, yet she refused to debate them. How do you explain that?
By your own words John, all the Republicans that refuse to debate their opponents over the last election cycles including I am sure people you supported, are also lacking. I am glad to hear you say that Kari Lake is a conspiracy theorist. Thank you and take care.
I keep saying it, John “RaicesTexasDotOrg” Kavanagh doesn’t think things through before he posts comments.
Him Admitting Krazy Kari laKe is a kook without realizing it is on brand for the guy.
I prefer candidates debate, but reading Hobbs reasoning about KK laKe I agree with her decision not to. It’s long past time to stop giving these radical extremist conspiracy theory nuts and conmen/conwomen airtime.
John “RaicesTexasDotOrg” Kavanagh is aware of many Republicans refusing to debate and why and he supports them, he just can’t help himself when it comes to being dishonest.
I do admire his tireless work fundraising for raicestexas dot org, though!
I mean, if just a small percentage of visitors to this site donate 10 or 20 dollars, over time we’re talking thousands raised helping RAICES provide free or low cost legal help to immigrants.
Hooray!
You know, with so many people donating to RAICES in Honor of Rep John Kavanagh, maybe we should get him a plaque or a fundraising trophy!
I’m sure he would proudly display it on the mantle of his government paid for home!
I’m back. Just read about more QAnon followers murdering people, including their own families, over the last day or so.
A few years ago John Kavanagh was defending Kemtrail Kelly for hosting a chemtrail conspiracy theory town hall instead of telling those people to get help.
Now he’s defending Krazy Kari laKe.
He knows the lies she spreads are dangerous.
A few months ago he was engaging in stochastic terrorism against refugees who were allies to our soldiers.
What is wrong with this guy?
The QAnon people, the Stop the Steal Big Lie Spreaders, are a danger to others AND themselves.
It’s not just the victims of the QAnon followers and the J6 terrorists, it’s the people being misled by people like Lake and Kavanagh who are having their lives destroyed because they believe the lies Lake and Kavanagh tell them and then act out violently.
And T4ump, Lake, Kavanagh, the people who encourage the delusions, never pay a price.
I mock Kavanagh and laugh at his problems with critical thinking, but John Kavanagh is actively helping and encouraging the violence and he knows it.
OMG Arizona needs better.
That’s Politics 101 Johnny Boy. When you have a weak opponent with no fundraising and no chance of winning, you do not give your opponent an opening to score cheap shot points on you in a debate. This is just common political wisdom.
It’s a close race, look at the polls. Again, like most zealot operatives, you live in your own world of spin?
You commented about not debating her Democratic opponents in the primary. Pay attention.
My point in bringing up the failure of Hobbs to debate her Democrat opponent who was not a conspiracy theorists was that Hobbs is just afraid to debate any opponent because she cannot take the heat. She is not a leader. At best, she might make a good staffer for a governor.
So what is your appraisal of the Republican Congressional nominees who refuse to debate Ms. Engel, Mr. Hodges, or Mr. O’Halleran.
As a matter of fact, she has been an excellent Secretary of State, which is next in line of succession to Governor. The opinion of someone who has spent 16 years in the legislature and has never demonstrated leadership is worthless.
She’s not failing to debate Lake, she’s saying there is no benefit to giving an insane/corrupt person more airtime.
There’s a huge difference, but you know that, and you are yet again “misrepresenting” the situation, or as everyone else calls it, lying.
You’re being a partisan hack, and on the Partisan Hack scale, you rate “Feeble”.
You have cost Arizonan’s billions of dollars, you continue to cost us millions by pushing bills that you know are unconstitutional, and you do it for the political points.
That, however, is far overshadowed by your support of terrorists and terrorism, you racist POS.
Go away, you gross troll, and let the grown ups talk about the good work RaicesTexasDotOrg does.
RAICES provides free or low cost legal help to immigrants.
Donating in honor of Arizona Rep John Kavanagh is a great way to get your daily allowance of vitamins and minerals.
It’s also a great source of fiber, something that fake conservative and noted terrorist John Kavanagh could use to flush out some of the BS in his system.
“…Hobbs is just afraid to debate any opponent because she cannot take the heat. She is not a leader.”
Why do you say she’s not a leader, Rep John K? Or she can’t take heat?
Hobbs held up really well throughout Trump’s attempt to overthrow the 2020 presidential election. Arizona was in Trump’s crosshairs, as you know, and it most definitely required leadership for the Secretary of State to defend the integrity of the election and protect the will of the voters. And she did this while enduring death threats and other attacks from outraged Big Lie followers of Trump.
Hobbs regularly appeared on national cable TV with updates on the counting of ballots during that time. But even more importantly she became the face of the people of Arizona who are just regular folks. The crazy, Big Lie Trump followers are not the majority, and it was good for the rest of the country to see that.
Hobbs is wise not to debate a one of Trump’s Big Lie sycophants especially one who thinks Hobbs should be in jail for doing her job.
Anyone notice how Kavanagh never gives us a reason to vote for laKe?
This is what all these America hating fake conservative MAGAts do.
They know they can’t justify their own positions because they’re driven by fear and hate, so they attack their opponents.
I try to watch the debates that have been on Arizona Horizon and can’t get past their opening comments.
The fake conservative MAGAts always start with an attack because they have nothing else.
It would be great to have someone from the Arizona GOP who came here to discuss issues, instead we get Kavanagh, who regularly lies openly thinking we won’t notice, and can’t put together a coherent argument to save his life.
People like Kavanagh are useful idiots to their owners. The people who fund him and the rest, the Koch brother(s) from Kansas, for example, know he’s a halfwit.
But he does their bidding. He helps them steal from the middle class to enrich the parasite class.
Remember to donate to RaicesTexasDotOrg in Honor of Arizona Rep John Kavanagh and help counter the bad things that people like Jersey John do.