UPDATED: Oakland Republican & Democratic candidates agree to debate on October 22nd in the council at 7:30pm, doors open at 6:45. Questions for the candidates can be submitted in advance by emailing Communications@Oakland-nj.org ( additional details to be posted when available)
ORIGINAL POST: A local debate between town council candidates is still in doubt as the Democratic and Republican campaigns debate the debate.
Over the summer, the Democrat campaign had suggested that Ryan Schwertfeger, a registered Republican voter, take on the responsibility of moderating the debate. Well known to many Oakland residents through his local polling and video interviews of Oakland candidates , it seemed Schwertfeger has the capacity to raise the level of the local debate to a new standard.
The Republican campaign is insisting on hiring a moderator from the League Of Women Voters, but the suggestion has come in at a relatively late date, and the clock is ticking for the campaigns to reach an agreement.
Other communities around the nation point with pride as local youth moderate debates for mayoral, council, state assembly, and congressional candidates. In towns as diverse as San Diego, CA and Montclair, NJ – high school students are lauded for their service to the community in hosting candidate debates.
Oakland’s IHHS administrators were approached in 2010 about having the high school debate team sponsor a local forum for the candidates; that was rejected. Now, in 2012, another opportunity has come – but it appears the Republican campaign is insisting on hiring a moderator from the League of Women Voters.
The argument for hiring a moderator from The League of Women Voters is that it will bring a level of professionalism to the local debate that some believe has been lacking from past volunteers such as Vincent Farinella and Al DiGiacomo.
The LOWV has a history of providing trained moderators to conduct local debates, but there are no guarantees even when you are pay for something.
In Wayne, NJ, Minna Greenberg from the LOWV moderated a debate for Wayne council candidates that resulted in their New Jersey chapter having to issue an official apology to candidate Bill Brennan for the behavior of Ms. Greenberg during that debate.
Brennan – a very vocal critic of John Szabo’s dual role as both Oakland’s mayor and Wayne’s town planner – became the target of obnoxious and unprofessional comments by Greenberg who was moderating the debate between candidates for the Wayne council.
Like many Oakland residents, The Journal looks forward to any opportunity to compare our local candidates side-by-side. We also hope Oakland will provide an opportunity for Oakland youth to have the same opportunities as other town provide.
The debate on the debate will decide if there is a debate in Oakland.
Note: In addition to Montclair high school students moderating the mayoral debate, kudos go out to the 3 New Jersey girls from Montclair who began the petition to have a female moderator for one of the 3 presidential debates of 2012. It has been 20 years since a woman was moderator.
Lets be serious, if anyone saw the Council Forum on Ch 77 there is no way in the world those 2 Republican candidates ever want to debate the two Democrats. For starters Pignatelli and Visconti would be outed as closet liberals, and the Dems would be shown as the fiscal conservatives. Second the 2 Republicans cannot speak as clearly, concisely or confidently as the 2 Democrats. And lastly, if you watched the Council Forum on Ch 77 it appears as though Pignatelli and Visconti really don’t want to do this anymore. That is why the Reps don’t want to debate.
I agree with Fred. Both republican candidates gave the impression that they were unprepared and unrehearsed and didn’t want to be there so let’s just get this over so we can get the **** out of here.