TN House District 62: Cobb only wants debate on his terms or no debate at all

Yesterday, Ty Cobb's refusal to show up for yet another public forum was discussed in some detail, and today we learn that negotiations over the parameters of an actual "Lincoln-Douglas" style debate (or something similar to it) were not important enough for the Democratic nominee's campaign manager in Tennessee House District 62 to attend:

As you know from my last letter to you, which has gone unanswered, I listed five parameters for debate that our campaign believes would give District 62 voters the most honest and open debate possible. The five parameters follow:

· All Three Candidates Participate
· Town Hall Format
· Questions Reserved for District 62 Voters
· Neutral Location
· No Subject Matter Restrictions

Seeing as how you were not in attendance at yesterday’s meeting, I thought you should be aware that these parameters were not met and we were offered no reasonable compromises that would meet these stipulations. Due to time constraints, it is impractical to hold this debate on the date you suggested, which is tomorrow October 10th. Therefore, my final response is that Pat will agree to a debate under the terms mentioned above on Monday, October 12th with Shelbyville Times-Gazette editor Kent Flanagan as moderator.

No rational political operation would expect to organize for a debate in the middle of a campaign on anything less than 48 hours' notice, so it should not be surprising that the Marsh camp suggested Monday October 12th as an alternate date. The Cobb camp's answer is not only "no," but apparently "you debate on our terms only, or there will be no debate." Mind you, this is a man who intends to serve in a deliberative body, the Tennessee House of Representatives. Does Ty Cobb expect that the debate will always be on his terms there as well? After once again refusing reasonable debate terms, the Tennessee Democratic Party has the unmitigated gall to accuse the Marsh campaign of refusing to debate, when it is Cobb who has refused to show at various public forums. 

Even some seasoned and committed Democrats who are otherwise predisposed to support Ty Cobb are forced to wonder just why it is that Cobb, the supposed new Democratic champion of the pro-life movement and social conservatism in the Democratic Party, refuses to show up to public settings filled largely will people who adhere to the ideas he claims to support. Work isn't a legitimate excuse in public service, because the voters expect candidates and elected officials to put them first. It goes without saying that Ty Cobb entered the race in District 62, he became the immediate favorite and remains so because of name recognition due to his status as the brother of the former seatholder, Curt Cobb.

Ty Cobb's actions, as well as those of his campaign, show that he is taking the election and the voters for granted. Whether he wins or not, does someone with such a propensity to assume the support of the public without showing up to ask for it deserve to sit in the Tennessee House?