From Deseret News archives:
Bennett declines an online debate
But, it seems we'll never know if one of the candidates would have typed LOL in response to one of his opponent's statements. (For those non-computer-chatroom-savvy newspaper readers, LOL is a popular chat-room acronym that stands for "laugh out loud.")
Bennett, who received the invitation Monday, will have plenty of chances to talk about issues with Van Dam at locations around the state but the cyber world will not be among them. The senator, according to spokeswoman Mary Jane Collipriest, will stick with what's already in the planning stages debates with a mike, not a mouse.
Van Dam likes the idea of the online debate format, because, he said, it "focuses on substance, not slogans and sound bites." With key issues such as nuclear testing, budget deficits, health-care concerns and education atop his platform priority list, he prefers "we debate the issues as often as possible, in every available forum."
This debate forum, being offered to every national-level candidate, would include four rounds, with opening and closing statements detailing initiatives and plans, interactive questions, ensuing responses and a Q&A portion with participating public.
Ron Hrebenar, political science department chairman and interim director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, called the cyber concept "fascinating," but he doubts enough voters would actually log on and follow the debate to make a difference in the election outcome.
That's not to say Internet interaction between candidates isn't on the horizon.
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