Incumbents Don’t Usually Press For Debates
We saw this in the Fourth District primary earlier this year. Steven Palazzo, who would win by a dozen or so points, was the favorite and basically said thanks-but-no-thanks to debate invitations from the Tegerdine camp.
The reason I am writing about this is because it is very odd for an incumbent to make an issue about a challenger who turned down a debate opportunity- as we are seeing in the First. Last week, the Travis Childers camp issued multiple pressers saying that Alan Nunnelee refused to commit to an upcoming debate (here is the second presser of the week). I am not going to speak on the merits of this attack, but speak to the pattern it is showing: the Childers camp is acting like the underdog.
Here is what we have seen from their camp over the past six weeks: negative ads that began in August, polling showing he is under 50 percent, and now the debate issue. Those three points fit a challenger to a tee.
Majority in Mississippi
10/3/10
Magnolia Tribune
