Beebe, Hutchinson agree to debate dates, format
Last updated Friday, August 18, 2006 11:03 PM CDT in News
By James Jefferson
THE MORNING NEWS
LITTLE ROCK -- The Democratic and Republican candidates for governor have agreed on a series of three televised debates in four weeks in advance of the Nov. 7 general election, their campaigns announced Friday.
The schedule calls for Democrat Mike Beebe and Republican Asa Hutchinson to face off Sept. 18 in Jonesboro, Oct. 4 in Northwest Arkansas and Oct. 17 in Little Rock. The campaigns said specific locations, times, sponsors and media arrangements would be announced later.
"Mike Beebe feels it's an opportunity for people to get to see the candidates side by side and judge them on their platforms and their positions on the important issues facing us as a state," Beebe spokesman Zac Wright said.
"It's going to be an opportunity for Arkansans to hear from two candidates who have a great deal of experience, who differ on a great many issues, lay out their visions where they want to take the state as governor," Hutchinson spokesman David Kinkade said. "We absolutely welcome that."
Both campaigns said the dates were firm, which apparently would break a long tradition of live gubernatorial debates televised statewide by the Arkansas Educational Television Network.
Carole Adornetto, AETN's director of production and executive producer of the network's debate series, said the network sent invitations to the gubernatorial candidates weeks ago to participate in a series of candidate debates the network is hosting between Oct. 22 and Oct. 25.
The other candidates for statewide races and congressional candidates have accepted invitations, she said.
"Since we initially made that invitation, all the days filled up while (the gubernatorial candidates) didn't get back to us. That left only Oct. 22," Adornetto said. "We asked them if they were going to accept or decline our invitation. We haven't heard back from them."
Kinkade said the campaigns still would try to work with AETN.
"I don't consider it something that we're closing the door on at all," he said. "We want to be able to work with anyone who can give us a broad audience, but it also has to work for the schedule that the candidates have agreed to."
The Beebe-Hutchinson agreement provides for only the Democrat and the Republican to take part in the debates. Adornetto said if Beebe and Hutchinson don't appear on the Oct. 22 date AETN has set aside for the gubernatorial debate, the network would let independent candidate Rod Bryan of Little Rock appear and answer questions.
Under the major candidates' agreement, each debate will be televised, possibly statewide, and will include a single moderator to serve as questioner and referee, as well as a separate timekeeper.
The debates will last no longer than one hour, including opening and closing statements by both candidates. Candidates will not be allowed to question each other.
The format allows for at least one of the debates to include questions submitted by the audience, screened by a two- or three-member panel.
The candidates will be allowed to take a notepad, pen and briefing notes to the podium, but will not be able to use charts or other props. They also have agreed not to use audio or video from the debate in commercials or ads.
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