The Republican candidate for governor in Arizona Kari Lake has all kinds of talent when it comes to communicating with voters. It’s one of the reasons she’s so appealing as a candidate. She hasn’t even won yet and people are already talking about national office in the future because of that talent.
Her Democratic opponent Katie Hobbs is — unfortunately for the Democrats — the opposite case. She comes across as a bit of an immature 12-year-old girl. Her voice does her no favors. When she pressed with questions, her constant petulant attitude — how dare people ask me these questions — doesn’t help either. While Lake exudes confidence, every time Hobbs opens her mouth, she sounds like she’d rather be anyplace else but answering questions.
However, the thing that has been the big killer to Hobbs’ campaign has been her refusal to debate. Even John Fetterman took part in a debate, despite all of his issues (albeit delaying it as long as he could so he could get more early votes in before people saw all those issues). It was a horrible decision and likely will cost him the election. But Hobbs doesn’t have his issues, she just seems afraid — not a good look for someone who wants you to put your trust in them to run a state.
Even CNN’s Don Lemon and his morning show panel put Hobbs on the spot when they had her one and asked her why she wasn’t debating. She claimed she didn’t want to elevate Lake’s “election denialism.” Except that’s when CNN committed journalism and dropped the hammer on her, asking why she had avoided debating her Democratic primary opponent as well.
All Hobbs can say it this was our campaign decision, “Our campaign strategy is our campaign strategy.” She never does answer the question. Instead, she claims that Lake wouldn’t answer questions when Lake has talked with all kinds of media. When they drop the question about the primary opponent, Hobbs was left stammering.
Most people want the opportunity to put their positions forward for the voters to see. If they don’t want to do that, you know there’s a problem, in addition to the fact that she doesn’t think much of the voters if she doesn’t even think they deserve to hear her positions in a debate. If she’s not even willing to put herself out that much, why would voters think that she would listen to anything they had to say, as she doesn’t seem to care about proffering her views to them?
The CNN panel asked her if she’s ever debated her opponents, and she claims that she had. I couldn’t find any evidence of that in a quick check. Paging the Kari Lake folks, I’ll lay odds that’s probably not true, and if that’s a lie, that would finish her off.
So that’s two good interviews in a row for CNN and Don Lemon. Lemon also busted Fetterman during an interview this week as well. A CNN producer even tweeted out the clip with Katie Hobbs, promoting it, which means they’re proud of it. That’s a positive move that they seem now to be willing to ask real questions and put Democratic candidates on the spot.
