James Bond: DFO: Do you know the REAL story why the debates are being skipped? In other words, is something else afoot? Are the IPTV debates organized and controlled by a bunch of partisan left wing Democrats? At least some Republican candidates I know have been concerned for years -- it's like walking into the Politburo at IPTV. I don't know the answers, but I think a reporter ought to find someone willing to talk more about it on or off the record. That said, I generally agree with your gut reaction to it.

DFO: If in a worse-case scenario the League of Women Voters debates were controlled by "partisan left-wing Democrats," Republican candidates should attend and make their case to the people of Idaho. Remember. Idaho has more than just Republicans. In fact, Republicans aren't even a majority in this state, although it seems like it. Democrats, Libertarians and Independents combined comprise about 60 percent of the population (although the latter two groups are conservative and tend to vote Republican). Methinks the Republican candidates are uncomfortable because: a. they don't debate well (see Donna Jones v. Keith Johnson in 2002 LWV debate), or b. they prefer to have partisan cronies lobbing them softball questions, not neutral media types. It's hard to feel sorry for them. Consider what it must be like to be a Democrat running in Red State Idaho.

---

---