Gov. Bill Richardson’s refusal to agree to a live television debate with John Dendahl is a slap to the face of
Democracy is about debate and compromise. The compromise comes after the election. This is a time for debate.
Voters need the opportunity to see both candidates in action so they can make intelligent choices on Nov. 7.
Then, they should go head-to-head so voters have a chance to see each counter the other’s spin. That’s when we get to see through the B.S. and discover the real candidates.
That’s when candidates have the chance to prove they are genuine leaders.
If Dendahl is telling lies, a debate would allow
Right now, he’s not giving us any reason to believe otherwise.
To quote Michael J. Fox’s character in The American President:
“… in the absence of genuine leadership, (Americans) will listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They’re so thirsty for it they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.”
How about you take off the cowboy hat long enough to be a leader, governor?
Until
You can visit his Web site to learn more about his stands on the issues, but here’s a sample from the site detailing his stance on education:
“The recent re-broadcast by ABC-TV of John Stossel’s Stupid in
“The overall performance of
“However, there are bright spots and they should be emulated. One is Artesia, where superintendent Mike Phipps is running a high-performance school district that doesn’t use socio-economic excuses to accept anything less. He’s a competitor who led the Bulldogs to seven state football championships in his ten years of coaching. He chose the similarly-sized
“Mike knows nothing works like competition to improve people’s performance in most things they do. It spurs innovation and greater effort. He led his principals and teachers to adopt one simple idea: no community of students and their families is incapable of meeting high expectations.
“He’s right. Sue Beffort and I know some youngsters have easier lives than others; we also know the examples are out there proving that economic disadvantage doesn’t prevent a child from having natural acuity and curiosity, the building blocks of learning. Youngsters need wise guidance, not pity.
“Sue and I also believe too much direction is coming from on high rather than from those in charge locally. Yes, a few reasonable achievement standards should be set for all, but we insist that those close to the kids and their families can do a better job with classrooms – discipline, curriculum, resource allocation and all the rest – than bureaucrats in
“Which brings us to federal influence and No Child Left Behind. NCLB is a bold stroke to require performance evaluation that has been sorely missing, but some of its other reported effects are bizarre. Sue and I would help
“The state constitution implies for every
“Choice is offered elsewhere through a variety of approaches. We propose that
“There is no good reason that well-educated
Expect more on this blog about Dendahl’s stances until