New Hampshire Debates Org Requests Another Debate Before Primary

CONCORD, NH - New Hampshire Democrats who are part of the New Hampshire Debates organization, an org that has been requesting an increase in the number of formal meetings between the candidates, is making another effort to schedule a debate after the Iowa Caucuses and before the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary, scheduled on Feb. 9, 2016.

In the letter, sent out by Jay Surdukowski, a supporter of former Gov. Martin O’Malley, D-MD, the three remaining Democrats were urged to make closing arguments before the primary.

“After Iowa votes, all eyes will be on the Granite State, where a large number of minds in this competitive race are made up in the final hours,” the letter, which was sent to media outlets this morning, noted. “We have long had a ’half time debate’ between the first two nominating contests. For 32 years, Democrats have had a debate after Iowa’s caucuses; each and every year the nomination was contested since the first Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire in 1984. But not this year. We can remedy this.”

The letter noted that while candidates who make this commitment may have to deal with the wrath of DNC Chairwoman U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, since she has threatened to exclude candidates from future debates if they participate outside a DNC-sanctioned debates, the signers said they believed her threat would be unenforceable, politically, legally, and morally.

“What would our history be if our greatest leaders and advocates for human rights, for justice, for equality, asked permission before they spoke out about their vision for America? What if Franklin Roosevelt had been prohibited from giving too many Fireside Chats during the Great Depression? Where would we be if President John Kennedy held back from addressing on television an anxious nation during a dangerous time? What if Lyndon Johnson had to seek the blessing of the impermanent chair of a political party to bring a new vision to Washington, to heed the marchers for change in Selma, to remake our country’s history for the good? Do not let your free speech, your dream for our nation, be silenced,” the letter stated. ”Bernie, Hillary, and Martin: you are running for the highest office in the land; the most influential in the world. Yet the overwhelming majority of voters have not seen you on one stage; jousting for the greater good. Your televised contests garner viewership far inferior to the Republicans, who with each frequent debate dominate the national conversation.”

The debates, the signers noted, have ”occurred on quiet weekends, in competition with major sporting events, on the eve of national holidays. They have been buried. Voters have been the poorer for it. But it is not too late. No one and no organization can stand between you and the voters.”

The letter closed requesting action on the request and noted that many Democrat leaders were in support of the request.

“Our love of the New Hampshire primary, free speech, and an open democracy transcends any one candidate and our loyalties to a party leader whose influence in our democracy is fleeting. It is the presidency and the picking of Presidents we must honor,” it stated. “Let there be a final reckoning in this New Hampshire primary we hold so sacred.”

The letter was signed by New Hampshire Debates on behalf of Hon. Arnie Arnesen, Jeffery Ballard, Dean Barker, Raj Bhattacharya, Hon. Mo Baxley, Walker Brown, Hon. Peter Burling, Hon. Lorrie Carey, Hon. Byron Champlin, Rep. Jackie Cilley, Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, Colleen Clayton, John Clayton, Hon. Burt Cohen, Hon. Dudley Dudley, Hon. Eileen Ehlers, Robert Ehlers, Nathan Fennessy, Rep. Susan Ford, Rep. June Frazer, Stan Freeda, Caroline French, Hon. Sylvia Gale, Rachel Hampe, Matthew Hancock, Dr. Travis Harker, Ann Heffernon, Hon. Harold Janeway, Donald Jorgensen, Brian Keaney, Janice Kelble, Quinn Kelley, Rob Lanney, Kyle Leach, Hon. Maureen Mann, Hon. Norman Patenaude, Shana Potvin, John Rauh, Mary Rauh, Hon. Gary B. Richardson, Ken Roos, Jim Rosenberg, Brian J. Shea, Dr. Bill Siroty, Rep. Marjorie Smith, Robert Spiegelman, Surdukowski, Bill Stelling, Jim Tetreault, Hon. Kenneth Traum, Rep. Lucy Weber and Pat Wilczynski.