Sightings: Debate for Governor Censored
by Globe and TV Channels
MassNews Staff
September 24, 2002
After Carla Howell was invited
to be on the televised TV debate of gubernatorial
candidates by both Channel 2 and the host of the show,
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and the announcements
were made, the Boston Globe and the major TV stations
are saying they don't want to hear what she has to
say -- especially about getting rid of the state income
tax.
A supervising producer for WGBH had faxed an invitation
to Carla Howell's campaign on August 28th inviting
the candidate to appear as part of a four-candidate
gubernatorial debate, following the September 17th
Massachusetts primary. Then last week, the debate's
host, WPI, telephoned her an invitation. It was promptly
accepted. The debate is scheduled for October 1st.
Technically of course there are five candidates for
the corner office. In addition to O'Brien, Romney,
and Howell, the Green Party candidate is Jill Stein
and Attorney Barbara Johnson is running as an independent.
But now we hear that only the Democrat and Republican
candidates are expected to debate. Even though Carla
Howell has mounted a very credible campaign for Governor,
the media consortium underwriting the event doesn't
believe the "second tier" candidates deserve
the access to the televised platform.
It seems the media consortium has told the Libertarian
camp that Howell was not invited and that "the
consortium has not yet decided who will be included
and who will be excluded from the live televised governor
debate on October 1st." Although you may be able
to argue that Stein and Johnson lack the name recognition
and vote potential required to make the cut for a
major televised event, in Howell's case it isn't necessarily
so.
Carla managed over 300,000 votes for U.S. Senate when
she ran against Sen. Ted Kennedy in 2000. She is also
the standard bearer for the current incarnation of
the Libertarian movement that is spearheading the
effort to pass the ballot question to repeal the state
income tax. The ballot question has a strong core
of support (estimated at near 40%) and may be the
biggest upset of the upcoming election. She may not
have a good chance to win the election, but she has
helped to define the debate on many issues and her
imprint will be on the outcome.
Tonight at 7:00PM, the first post-primary gubernatorial
debate will take place in Springfield at Western New
England College. Outside of Sleith Hall supporters
for the lesser-known candidates will be gathered to
protest their exclusion from the debates. But it is
the debate on October 1st that will be the real indicator
of just how far the Libertarian Party has come in
being considered a viable third party option for voters.
