Cynthia Nixon is taking the fight to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo aggressively. WABC in New York offered to host a televised debate and Nixon jumped at the chance before Cuomo even had a chance to respond. She also said she wants the debate to be between only the two of them.
Nina Golgowski reports at the Huffington Post:
Cynthia Nixon Challenges Andrew Cuomo To 1-On-1 Televised DebateNew York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon is challenging Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to a one-on-one televised debate ahead of the November election, but Cuomo has rejected similar offers in the past.The “Sex and the City” star on Monday extended an invitation to the governor in a provocative video on Twitter that poked at the governor’s past refusal to participate in two candidate debates on TV.“I believe voters deserve to hear a frank and direct discussion of the real issues facing New Yorkers, and the difference between my progressive vision for this state, and Governor Cuomo’s centrist record,” Nixon says in the video.She adds that a debate hosted by New York’s WABC will be “no huge multi-candidate free-for-all like you always insist on. One on one. No distractions, and nowhere to hide.”
See the video in the tweet below:
Will Cuomo accept Nixon’s challenge?
The editors of the Daily Gazette want him to do it:
Editorial: Governor shouldn’t fear debatesThey say a political debate has the most benefits for the challenger.Challengers get publicity for their campaigns they might not otherwise get.They’re seen on an equal footing with the incumbent, giving them extra credibility. They get to articulate their positions in front of an attentive audience of potential voters. And there’s always a chance the incumbent will mishandle a question or be forced to defend an unpopular decision and end up looking bad.So why on Earth would Gov. Andrew Cuomo want to give all that advantage to a political challenger like Cynthia Nixon and aid her longshot bid to unseat him by accepting her challenge to a one-on-one debate? He faces far more negative fallout from a poor debate performance than he does from being called a chicken by her.In response to an invitation to debate Nixon from WABC-TV, the governor’s office has said only that they’re fielding many requests and that voters deserve “a robust, detailed debate on the issues that matter most.” That last part doesn’t necessarily mean Cuomo’s going to show up to any actual debate. But he should.And not because she’s taunting him.He should debate her because someone who’s been elected to public office — particularly a governor who has served for seven years — shouldn’t have to worry about giving an opponent publicity or credibility.
According to WNYC, the Cuomo campaign has accepted without committing to anything specific:
Nixon, Cuomo to Debate before September PrimariesCynthia Nixon might as well have double-dog dared New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to debate her.WABC-TV and its partners, including WNYC, had invited the Democratic gubernatorial candidates to debate, and Nixon wasted no time beating Cuomo to the punch, releasing a video accepting the invitation…His campaign at first responded that Cuomo was “reviewing invitations” and looking forward to “a robust debate.” A spokesperson later clarified he would indeed participate — but did not commit to a date, debate format, or media outlet.
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