Candidates Often Decline Station Debates

Flush with cash from political advertising, many broadcasters have been staging debates among competing candidates -- or at least trying to.

Nobody keeps a running count of the broadcaster-sponsored debates, but C-SPAN says that it has aired around 100 debates this year and that most originated at TV stations. But whatever the number, it could have been considerably larger. Candidates, particularly incumbents, are not always eager to appear in uncontrolled forums where they feel they have far more to lose than gain. Often, they decline debate invitations from stations or opt for less risky alternatives. In some cases, candidates limit the number of debates, accepting some invitations and rejecting others for reasons that are not always clear.

National Association of Broadcasters Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton, who monitors the debate opportunities and other free time that stations offer candidates, says it's fairly common for stations to face rejection by candidates. "If you're an established incumbent with 99% name recognition, the last thing your high-priced consultant is going to advise you to do is take a debate offer that puts your unknown opponent on TV and opens an opportunity for you to have your own 'macacca' moment," says Wharton referring to an incident involving former Virginia Senator George Allen who was expected to win re-election in 2006 until he was captured on video using a racist epithet. Other followers of political campaigning agree.