The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus will be hosting a debate Saturday afternoon between seven Republican candidates looking to challenge U.S. Sen. Deborah A. Stabenow (D-Michigan) in 2012.
The event is being co-hosted by the UM-D College Republicans and Union Conservatives Inc. from 2-4 p.m. in the UM-D Social Sciences Building at 4901 Evergreen Road in Dearborn. WAAM, 1600-AM will be broadcasting live the questioning of candidates Scotty Boman, Clark Durant, Gary Glenn, Randy Hekman, Pete Hoekstra, Peter Konetchy, and Chuck Marino.
Terry Bowman, the founder and president of Union Conservatives, said the debate format will have union members coming up to the microphone asking candidates questions. Members of the UAW, SEIU, Dearborn Federation of Teachers, MEA, United Food and Commercial Workers and others are being asked to submit questions which are important to them, he said, “and I have just arranged them in order.
“This I believe is an important distinction in philosophy between the way most union officials treat their workers, and the way we here at Union Conservatives treat our members,” Bowman said. “We encourage separate, individual ideas and thoughts, while most union officials do not.
“Because of this philosophy, I am allowing our union members to ask the candidates whatever is important to them. Union Conservatives acknowledges that each union member is so much more than just a part of their union. They are also spouses, parents, children, siblings, members of their communities, people of faith, etc.....as well as union members.
“We believe - unlike most union officials - that decisions on voting for an elected official should take into consideration all of these roles in our lives, and not just focus on one narrow part of it,” Bowman said.
All seven active Republican candidates have confirmed, according to Bowman, saying one other candidate, Rick Wilson, appears to be not actively campaigning, and has not responded to Bowman's emails on participating in the debate. The event is free and open to the public, but those wishing to attend must go to the Union Conservatives website for information on the tickets they will need, or call (734) 585-4901.
Tickets are being required, said Alexander Dale Steward on behalf of the College Republicans, because a full crowd is expected. He advises ticket-holders to drive to the north end of campus, where they can park in a parking structure near the Social Science Building, or in a parking lot open on weekends “that's right there too, so parking on a Saturday is going to be a lot easier for someone than during the week.”
Those attending the debate will walk from the parking toward a large brown building near a circular drive, he said, bearing the University of Michigan emblem and the name “Social Science Building.” Signs will direct them to the Social Science Building, and more signs in the building will direct the way to the hallway leading to the auditorium (people can also look at the campus map by going to the UM-D website), Steward recommends people come early when the auditorium doors open at 1:15 p.m., as different organizations will have tables set up in the hallway.
While there will be a couple questions the UM-D College Republicans will be asking, Steward said that the main role they are taking in the event is focusing on promoting it to the university and its students, and drawing people from the community and publicizing the debate to campus organizations.
He first encountered Bowman speaking on right-to-work options at a Dearborn/Dearborn Heights Republican Club event the previous autumn, Steward said, and Bowman was looking for a site to host the event when he met Bowman at a Tea Party event a couple months ago.
“It was really through Terry this event came to be, I give Terry full credit trying on the University,” Steward said. “We really appreciate the opportunity working with Union Conservatives and WAAM-AM for the debate.
“It's a great opportunity for us and we really love this campus and want to do things on this campus that bring the Wolverine people in. This is a great opportunity to hear these candidates in a different and interesting light, to talk about issues that are dear to the metro Detroit area. Unless you've been an Tea Party member or an active member of the Republican Party, I think a lot of people haven't had the opportunity to look at these candidates to see if they like them better than Debbie Stabenow, and all of these candidates—Pete Hoekstra, Clark Durant, Gary Glenn—all these candidates are going to be bringing something to the table, and they're going to connect with different people who have certain value systems, and that's the big thing.
“I think this is going be great for the metro Detroit area. And if you're interested in wanting to vote in this primary, if you're interested in finding a different person, or if you just want to know in general so you have an idea on which to make the decision if you want to vote for Sen. Stabenow for reelection or for one of these gentlemen; at least this gives you the opportunity to know about these candidates early on,” Steward said.
For the Union Conservatives part, Bowman said they hope to establish their organization as the premier one bringing union workers and conservative principles together, give candidates a chance to show how they would make the lives of union workers better if elected instead of Stabenow, and give union workers a chance to see candidates directly address certain union issues “without first being filtered through the union propaganda machine.”
Bowman also said that a friend will be videotaping the debate, and the telecast will eventually put on the Union Conservatives' website and You Tube after the event.
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