In mid-May, Gov. Butch Otter rejected an invitation to appear in a primary election forum saying some of his opponents were excluded from the event because they didn’t meet certain requirements set forth by Idaho Public Television (IPTV), which sponsored the debate.  However, Otter has decided to attend a debated slated for Sept. 15, sponsored by the City Club of Boise, which has chosen to exclude three gubernatorial candidates for not meeting certain polling thresholds. The City Club of Boise, a civics-minded organization dedicated to bringing political discussion to its members and the community at-large, decided in August to exclude Independents Jana Kemp and Pro-Life, as well as Libertarian Ted Dunlap, from a debate in September/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.

Question: Does Gov. Butch Otter really care who is involved in a debate or who isn't? Or is he simply using exclusions as a tactic to pick and choose which debates he goes to?