An op-ed by Robert Jowasizas, Monday Morning News Anchor for Rockland News.
Remember Rocky III?
Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T, repeatedly called out Rocky Balboa, demanding a chance to fight the champion. But Rocky’s longtime manager, Mickey Goldmill, wanted no part of it.
Mickey knew Clubber Lang was a serious challenger. He was concerned that Rocky wasn’t prepared and did everything he could to protect his fighter.
Eventually, Rocky had to face the challenge himself.
Now, what does a 1982 Sylvester Stallone boxing movie have to do with politics in Rockland County?
Quite a bit, apparently.
State Senator Bill Weber and Nyack Mayor Joe Rand are running against each other, and an invitation was extended by local media producer Tom Ossa to bring both candidates together for a public debate.
Mayor Rand accepted.
Senator Weber’s campaign manager declined.
And that’s where my memories of Rocky III come into play.
I can almost picture Clubber Lang standing across the ring, pointing at Rocky and shouting, “Come on, Billy! Let’s get in the ring!”
Meanwhile, Mickey steps between them, telling his fighter there’s no reason to take the risk.
Of course, this is political satire. I’m not suggesting Senator Weber is afraid of Mayor Rand, nor do I know why his campaign decided against participating.
Campaigns make strategic decisions. Perhaps Weber’s advisers believe their candidate has more to lose than gain. Perhaps they object to the proposed format, or perhaps they simply prefer other opportunities to reach voters.
Those questions deserve answers, too.
But here’s something I find interesting.
In Rocky III, Mickey believed he was doing the right thing by protecting Rocky. Yet eventually, Rocky had to face his opponent and prove himself.
In politics, however, the purpose of a debate isn’t to knock somebody out.
It’s to give voters a chance to compare two candidates standing on the same stage, answering the same questions, without carefully edited campaign advertisements or prepared press releases.
Rockland County residents have plenty to ask about.
Housing affordability, property taxes, infrastructure, public safety, development and the rising cost of living affect people throughout our communities.
Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to hear both candidates explain how they would address those issues?
And wouldn’t it be interesting to see how each responds when the other challenges an answer?
I’ve spent years covering community news, and I’ve always believed that local journalism should give residents information rather than tell them whom to support.
That’s why I believe debates are important.
I don’t care whether a candidate is a Republican, Democrat or independent. If you’re asking people for their votes, you should be willing to answer their questions.
Now, to be fair, declining one particular debate invitation doesn’t mean a candidate refuses to answer questions or participate in other public forums.
Senator Weber has every right to decide which invitations to accept.
But voters also have every right to question that decision.
And a campaign manager declining an invitation doesn’t necessarily tell us what the candidate himself thinks about debating his opponent.
Perhaps Weber would be willing to participate under different circumstances. If so, I’d welcome hearing that.
Meanwhile, Mayor Rand has agreed to participate.
The invitation was extended. One candidate accepted, and the other’s campaign declined. The ring is ready. The questions are waiting.
Billy, how about a debate?
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this op-ed are not necessarily the point of view of our entire team at Rockland News. But we felt this op-ed to be important, given the enormous scope of the office’s responsibilities. Over $500 million plus in school aid to Rockland alone.
That said, if sentiments change, we’ve planned ahead and reserved Fieldstone Middle School auditorium for a potential debate between the two candidates for New York State Senate District 38, for Monday October 26th, at 7:30 pm. The campaign managers can pick their own moderator. This event will be open to both the press, and the voters of Rockland County.
All the candidates have to do, is show up.