CA-sponsored debates will help showcase Senate, governor races
For the next 11 weeks the races to succeed Gov. Bill Haslam and Sen. Bob Corker will take center stage in Tennessee, with the Senate race attracting national attention.
The candidates — U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn and former Gov. Phil Bredesen in the Senate race and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and businessman Bill Lee in the race to become the state’s chief executive — will flood the airwaves, your mailbox and digital inboxes with messages on a range of issues. Those topics including the opioid epidemic, economic development, immigration and who can best represent the Volunteer State.
The Commercial Appeal and the USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee will provide news and analysis leading up to the Nov. 6 election. But we’re going beyond writing about the the races to showcase the candidates in two pivotal debates in Memphis.
The first debate is Tuesday Sept. 13 at Rhodes College and will feature the senate candidates. The CA and its broadcast partner, WMC Action News 5, are working with Rhodes officials to produce the debate, which will be televised live throughout the state on NBC affiliates. It will be held in McNeil Concert Hall.
Many political analysts have cited the Tennessee race as a deciding factor in which political party will take control of the Senate following the election.
The second debate is Tuesday Oct. 2 at the University of Memphis and will showcase the candidates for the governor’s race. It will also be broadcast throughout the state on NBC affiliates. It will be held in the Michael D. Rose Theater Lecture Hall.
David Waters, The CA’s opinion and engagement editor, and WMC-5 co-anchor Joe Birch will moderate the U of M debate, which, like the Rhodes debate, will be livestreamed at commercialappeal.com and the other five properties that make up the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee.
As the debates draw closer, we’ll provide more information on how you can watch them on TV and livestream.
While political debates may not change many voters’ minds, they are important for democracy and have produced some defining moments through the years.
“Debates are the only chance voters have to compare candidates on the same stage in a head-to-head match-up on key issues of concern,” said Amy Jasperson, associate professor and chair of the political science department at Rhodes College. “They increase learning and engagement in the political process. They remind voters of why they support a candidate. And they give candidates the opportunity to increase their favorability (rating) with voters.”
Jasperson also noted the debates in Memphis are significant because the four candidates need to appeal to voters in West Tennessee.
“Debating here is a symbolic declaration that they care about the concerns of people in Memphis,” she said. “It demonstrates that they are ready to engage on the current issues beyond Nashville and across the state when they go to Washington.”
With that in mind, I’d love to hear what issues you’d like the candidates to address in the two debates in Memphis. Send your suggestions to me at mark. russell@commercialappeal.com or call 901/529-2302.
Mark Russell is executive editor of The Commercial Appeal. You can follow him on Twitter at: @MarkRussell44