MSNBC’s Matthews ruins Gubernatorial debate? Part 2…
Tuesday, the St. Peterberg Times editorialized against Chris Matthews’ moderation of Monday’s Florida Gubernatorial debate. Today John Sowinski in the Orlando Sentinel follows in the footsteps of the Times’ editorial board…
It is clear that Matthews just wasn’t the right person for the job. We don’t need a cable celebrity to debate with our candidates. We need our candidates to have the opportunity to debate each other on relevant issues. Those of us in Florida need a good strong dose of self-esteem — and so do the news organizations that plan these debates. When candidates seek the highest post in Florida government, who better to pose questions to them than Florida-based journalists who know and cover these issues and these candidates 365 days a year?
I have known and dealt with journalists throughout Florida for nearly 20 years. I don’t always agree with them, but the vast majority of them deserve a lot of respect for the job they do. They care about Florida; they take their jobs seriously; and they understand the issues that our next governor will have to tackle. None of these things can be said about Matthews’ performance.
Networks should air debates for their true purpose, which is to be a service to the public.
It sounds like local guys being jealous of a national guy to me. Would this debate even have been on national TV if NBC didn’t put it on and to spark national interest you need it led by a national personality.
The local people can still do a local debate if the candidates agree to it.
Comment by Ed — November 3, 2006 @ 1:25 am