The Debate Over Debates
Congressman Rob Andrews, who is challenging Senator Frank Lautenberg in the Democratic Primary for the United States Senate in New Jersey, has demanded that Senator Lautenberg debate him seven times before the June Primary. Senator Lautenberg has accepted two debate invitations and declined all others, but has indicated he may agree to additional debates with Congressman Andrews before the Primary. Julie Roginsky, Mr. Lautenberg's campaign spokesperson, has said that the Senator is maintaining a full Senate schedule, which precludes him from participating in many debates. Are both Congressman Andrews and Senator Lautenberg playing politics?
The Senator probably should agree to at least one more debate before the June Primary, but the Congressman’s calls for many debates are inappropriate. When Senator Lautenberg was running against Republican Millicent Fenwick for the same Senate seat, he challenged her to a debate in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties. She agreed to five debates, but the Senator said that was insufficient and accused Ms. Fenwick of not being energetic enough, at the age of 72, to represent the State. However, the Lautenberg-Fenwick race was a general election evolving over many months, while the Lautenberg-Andrews race is a Primary election run over a few weeks. While debates are important and should be undertaken in both primary and general elections, having many debates in a Primary that lasts a few weeks is overreaching and would conceivably benefit only Congressman Andrews.
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Michael M. Shapiro, founder of ShapTalk.com, is an attorney who resides in New Providence,