Scott Howell is congratulated by Miriam Hyde after he won the democratic nomination for U.S. Senate to run against the seat currently occupied by Orrin Hatch. Utah State Democratic Convention held at the Salt Palace. Saturday, April 21, 2012.
Stuart Johnson, Deseret News
One of the most basic requirements of democracy is a well-informed electorate. Thus Mitt Romney and Barrack Obama will have three debates and so will Gov. Gary Herbert and Peter Cooke. However, there is no word of scheduled debates between Sen. Orrin Hatch and his Democratic opponent, Scott Howell.
The position of a U.S. senator is arguably more important than that of governor. Consequently, the voters of Utah deserve to see debates between Hatch and Howell at this critical time in our nation's history. The apparent decision not to debate is an affront to the voters of Utah and to the process of democracy in our state.
Howell has repeatedly offered to debate with Hatch, but no times have been announced. If there are to be debates, they should be on state-wide television in prime time, unlike the primaries when Hatch debated his opponent only once on radio station KSL early in the morning.
As citizens of Utah, let us hope that a schedule for televised debates will be announced shortly.
James King
Salt Lake City
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Hatch has long passed the point where he could earn my vote. The obstruction over the past 4 years is more than enough for one to realize he's not his own man. Most of this obstruction has been on things that were originally Republican ideas More..
Given Utah's overwhelming Republican majority, Hatch essentially won the Senate seat when he won the GOP nomination. Why would he risk that advantage by allowing his record, inconsistencies, corporate affiliations, age, ineptitude, and extreme More..
Utah is a ONE-party Political System.
The worst kind to have.
Like North Korea
Cuba,
Communist China,
Iran,
and Nazi Germany.
Orrin Hatch was SELECTED at the state's Republican Party More..