There's no debate: CNN's Dana Bash interviewing Katie Hobbs and Kari Lake was essential TV

Good for Dana Bash.

Bash, the host of CNN’s “State of the Union,” interviewed Arizona governor candidates Katie Hobbs and Kari Lake Sunday morning. Not together, of course — Hobbs refusing to debate Lake is another mess.

But, as with “Face the Nation” on CBS News on Oct. 9, Lake appeared first, followed by Hobbs.

This was a lot better.

For a simple reason: Bash pushed back when Hobbs and Lake didn’t answer questions directly. She got to the point.

She pressed Hobbs at least five times on her abortion stance and asked Lake, "Are you undermining faith in elections by saying that the 2020 election was stolen when there’s absolutely no evidence?"

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Major Garrett, who conducted the “Face the Nation” interviews, was hyper-focused on giving each candidate the same amount of time instead of getting follow-ups.

In fairness, candidates can make meaningful follow-ups difficult.

But on Sunday Bash came prepared and she got newsmaking answers. She asked Lake, a Donald Trump-endorsed denier of the legitimate 2020 election results, whether she would accept the outcome of the 2022 election.

“I’m going to win the election, and I will accept that result,” Lake said.

Bash didn’t move on. “If you lose, will you accept that?”

“I’m going to win the election, and I will accept that result,” Lake repeated.

It may not be satisfying, but Bash got Lake on the record, sort of — twice.

Bash pushed Lake on why she repeats the false claims that Trump won the 2020 election. And she asked it the right way.

“You called the 2020 election corrupt, stolen, rotten, and rigged,” she said. “And there was no evidence of any of that presented in a court of law or anywhere else that any of those things are true. So, why do you keep saying that?”

Lake argued that there is evidence. Again, Bash followed up.

“Where is the evidence of that?” she said.

Lake said there was plenty and, “I’m happy to send it to your team." She didn't elaborate on what "it" was, though she did repeat a disproven chain-of-custody claim.

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Why Dana Bash's attempts to get clear answers were so informative

Bash pushed Hobbs on her refusal to debate Lake. Hobbs again said Lake doesn’t want an in-depth conversation about issues. “She only wants a scenario where she can control the dialogue.”

“She just came and sat down with me and answered my questions for a lot of minutes,” Bash said. She didn’t leave it at that.

“If you think she's as dangerous as you're saying to democracy, is it your responsibility as a candidate who wants to run Arizona to show and explain who their alternative is?” Bash said.

Hobbs said she was doing that in the interview, and that Lake is only “interested in creating a spectacle.”

Bash also pushed Hobbs on her abortion stance, noting that Hobbs last week said she supports leaving politicians out of the equation entirely, making it a decision between a woman and her doctor.

“So can you clarify, do you support any legal limits on abortion in Arizona?” she said.

Hobbs answered by talking about Lake’s position. Bash tried again, and again. Finally Hobbs said, “The decision about abortion should be between a patient and her doctor.”

Lake has softened her stance on abortion of late, saying she will follow Arizona law once courts determine precisely what that is.

Sometimes the answer isn’t as enlightening as what it takes to get one. That was the case Sunday. A debate at this point seems impossible. This might be as good as we get. Bash deserves credit for making it worthwhile.

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Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: CNN's Katie Hobbs, Kari Lake interviews with Dana Bash were essential