What Katie Hobbs failed to learn about political debates from Jan Brewer

I have seen too many political debates over the years, and almost all of them were horrible.

I take that back.

ALL of them were horrible.

Boring.

Uneventful.

Predictable.

In the modern era, the definition of a “debate” is: A public event in which competing candidates ignore questions posed by moderators and repeat talking points.

I don’t believe a single person’s mind, or a single vote, is changed during a debate, though reporters eagerly seeking out citizens for reaction will invariably find one or two individuals who may claim as much, probably to see their names in print or their faces on TV.

I do believe, however, that refusing to participate in a debate can – and will – cost Democrat Katie Hobbs votes in her campaign to become Arizona’s governor.

Refusing to debate makes Hobbs look weak

It’s a weak move.

Hobbs is refusing to appear face to face on stage with Republican Kari Lake because doing so “would only lead to constant interruptions, pointless distractions and childish name-calling.”

For some reason, Hobbs and her advisers failed to realize that those are the very reasons she SHOULD debate Lake, to demonstrate she is just the opposite of that.

It's official: Katie Hobbs will not debate Kari Lake in governor race

It would not be difficult.

Avoiding such a debate doesn’t only make Hobbs look wimpy. It’s offering proof that she is.

Has no one on her staff talked Hobbs about Jan Brewer?

It’s not exactly ancient history.

Brewer blanked in a debate. It didn't matter

During her 2010 campaign for governor, Brewer, who was running against Democrat Terry Goddard, had the worst debate performance I’ve ever seen – almost scary, since it seemed she might be having a seizure right there on TV.

Brewer was delivering her opening remarks when she froze. No question had been asked. No complex policy issue was being explained. Brewer was talking and then she just … stopped.

Her mind went blank, she said later, and for 13 seconds – a really long time when a person is looking into a television camera – she froze.

Nothing.

Silence.

She said later, “If someone had asked me my name, I wouldn’t have been able to tell them.”

A governor must take on bullies

She also said that, in the end, she decided to “laugh about it, forget it and move on.’

EXACTLY!

Because as bad as it was, and as disastrous as it seemed, Brewer kept going. She was never good at debates, but she didn’t back down from them either, and the people who wanted to support her appreciated that.

And they voted for her.

And Brewer won the election.

Because debates do not change many votes. If any.

However, refusing to participate in a debate, refusing to appear on stage with a prickly opponent, is the kind of news story and opposing campaign material that doesn’t go away. It’s the schoolyard bully who dogs you until you stand up to him.

It doesn’t matter if the debate is a circus. It doesn’t even matter if you do or say something mortifying or embarrassing. Or say nothing for 13 seconds. What’s important is showing up.

Because a governor will be challenged by lots of bullies during her term in office. And she has to be willing to confront them, stand up to them.

This was Hobbs first chance at doing so, and …

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What Katie Hobbs failed to learn about debates from Jan Brewer