Katie Hobbs is a hard no on debating Kari Lake, transforming herself into a total weakling

The Great Arizona Debate over whether we will have a gubernatorial debate is now over.

Katie Hobbs on Sunday declined a renewed invitation from the Citizens Clean Election Commission to face off against Kari Lake in a televised debate.

Clearly, Hobbs has made a political calculation that it’s better to take the hit for not debating than to allow Arizona votes to see them, side by side.

“Secretary Hobbs remains willing and eager to participate in a town hall style event ... ,” her campaign manager Nicole DeMont said on Sunday, in a statement. “Unfortunately, debating a conspiracy theorist like Kari Lake – whoese entire campaign platform is to cause enormous chaos and make Arizona the subject of national ridicule – would only lead to constant interruptions, pointless distractions, and childish name-calling.”

Perhaps. But refusing to show up will only lead to Katie Hobbs looking like an absolute weakling, and that’s never a good look for someone who assures us she’s ready to run a state of more than seven million people.

Other Democrats will debate MAGA candidates

None of the other Democrats running against the MAGA slate seem fearful of debating their equally extreme opponents.

Secretary of state candidate Adrian Fontes will debate Mark Finchem, probably the Arizonan who has yelled the longest and the loudest about a supposed stolen election (without, of course, providing any proof to back up his claims).

Sen. Mark Kelly will debate Blake Masters, who has called the 2020 election a “rotten mess” and has said Donald Trump should still be president.

Not a debate: Hobbs, Lake explain how they would govern Arizona

Kris Mayes isn’t afraid to debate Abe Hamadeh in the attorney general’s race – and Hamadeh spouts the same lies as Lake et al.

Only Hobbs is refusing to take on her opponent, leaving those all-important independent and moderate Republicans voters who will decide this race to wonder one thing:

Why?

Hobbs first rejected the idea of appearing side-by-side with Lake a few weeks ago and now, asked on Thursday by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to reconsider, she’s again an adamant no.

Refusing to debate plays into Lake's hands

It’s pretty easy to see why. Forget all that talk about not wanting to embarrass the state. More likely, Hobbs doesn’t want to embarrass herself.

Where Lake is charismatic and fully in command in front of a camera or a crowd, Hobbs comes across as shaky and uncomfortable. Lake can talk circles around Hobbs, who seems, at times, to have trouble directly answering questions.

But Hobbs made a decision to run for governor – a decision that kept more eloquent Democrats out of the race. With that decision comes an expectation that you will square off against your opponent – that you will lay out your policies and defend them and expose your opponent as too extreme for Arizona.

That you will stand tall, in a stressful setting, and show us why you deserve our vote.

Hobbs is the first candidate for governor to ever refuse to go one-on-one with her opponent since the Clean Elections Commission began hosting debates in 2002. She is the only statewide candidate this year to decline a Clean Elections invitation to debate her opponent in the Nov. 8 election. First, she dodged fellow Democrat Marco Lopez. Now, Lake.

By refusing to debate, Hobbs is playing right into Lake’s hands. She is telling us that she can’t stand up to her opponent.

Lake is delighted, as she now trips about the state calling Hobbs a coward.

Hobbs thinks a debate would be a spectacle

Democrats have rushed to Hobbs’ defense, acting as if it is somehow unreasonable to expect their candidate to take on the bombastic Lake.

To debate Lake, they say, would be a debacle.

And, in fact, it has become one. For Hobbs.

The Democratic nominee, instead, proposed a town-hall style forum, where each candidate appears separately for an interview with Arizona Horizon’s Ted Simons. Both Lake and the Clean Elections commission rejected the idea, with Lake noting that Hobbs’ town hall plan amounted to “a safe space.”

“Facing criticism and taking responsibility for your record in front of the voters is one of the most basic qualifications of leadership,” Lake wrote. “Hobbs is failing at it spectacularly.”

Lake is right: The debate must go on

She’s right.

A town hall is a dodge. A debate is required – if you want to be taken seriously, that is.

It’s worth noting that 13 of the 16 citizens who spoke at Thursday’s commission meeting urged the commissioners to stick with a debate format. The commission agreed, voting 3-1 to stick with a debate format and give Hobbs seven days to reconsider.

It’s worth noting – again, that is – that every other statewide candidate taking on the MAGA slate will debate their opponent.

“We have a format that we have used for a number of years that has been successful,” said Commissioner Mark Kimble, a former aide to Democratic Reps. Gabby Giffords and Ron Barber. “That has given the voters of Arizona the opportunity to compare and contrast the candidates face to face.”

Until now, that is.

In a close race, this is a giant mistake

Now we have Katie Hobbs, denying voters that opportunity. And, possibly, herself the opportunity to become Arizona’s next governor.

This is a mistake a candidate can’t afford to make in a race as close as this one promises to be.

Hobbs is, no doubt, banking on the fact that she will win the anti-Lake vote. But that may not be enough in a deadlocked race. She’s also got to inspire those crucial independent voters – give them a reason to want to support her.

Surely she recalls that one of the reasons Martha McSally lost in 2018 is because a fair number of swing voters simply didn’t vote in the 2018 Senate race. They couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, but they saw no reason to vote for McSally.

Duck and cover may be a smart defensive move when bombs are falling. But as a strategy for becoming Arizona’s next governor?

Hobbs should reconsider. No, really. She really should reconsider.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Katie Hobbs is a hard no on debating Kari Lake. Bad move