Besides the changing leaves, nothing quite signals the oncoming fall federal election like the sprouting of that election tradition: the all-candidates’ debate.
Love them or hate them (we can be found in both camps depending on the debate), they’re part of long-standing democratic tradition.
Admittedly, there are good reasons most people don’t attend. Debates can be unruly. They can be long (without the ability to fast-forward.) Depending on the questions asked, they can wander into the weeds.
Often the audience is stacked with handlers and party faithful. Real “debating” of points is a rarity and there’s a lot more heat than light.
Despite those issues, we’re fans of all-candidates debates more often than we aren’t.
It’s one of the few times most people get to see their candidates in person, and see them reacting to a variety of perspectives, both those they share and those they don’t. We can tell who parrots the party platform and who provides their own insights on issues that impact residents.
We can see who seems sincere, who’s arrogant, who’s clueless or defensive.
When they work, debates are a way for candidates to test their party’s ideas against each other and defend them. Unlike at the front door and more informal events, they can’t just move on if things aren’t going their way.
You’ll find many of these local debates listed in the pages of the North Shore News between now and the Oct. 21 election.
There’s still lots of time to watch the candidates in action and form your own impressions.
That part’s not debatable.
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