More of a joint appearance, but informative

By STEVE BRAWNER

Democrat Hallie Shoffner and Libertarian Jeff Wadlin’s appearance on Arkansas TV Monday really wasn’t a “debate.” It was more of a joint appearance. But it was informative, which was the point.

It wasn’t a debate because neither candidate was focused on what the other was saying. Their real concerns were their own candidacies as well as the candidate who wasn’t there – Sen. Tom Cotton, whose absence also was informative in a way. Cotton also avoided debating Libertarian Ricky Harrington six years ago. 

Over the course of an hour, Cotton’s name came up numerous times, especially coming from Shoffner – the fact that he wasn’t there, and the areas where they disagreed with him.

They also discussed their own thoughts on major issues and their plans if elected. Here are a few highlights.

– Wadlin called for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. 

– Shoffner wants to open an office for constituent services in every region of Arkansas.

– Wadlin called for “guardrails” around artificial intelligence and said an outside party could review AI companies’ models. Shoffner called for citizens having more input into data centers being built in their communities.

– Shoffner said she supports securing the border, deporting violent criminals, and reforming the legal immigration system. Wadlin expressed admiration for immigrants but said they can’t skip the line and that they put downward pressure on wages.

– Wadlin said Congress should either approve the war in Iran or end it. He would support ending it by striking a deal with Iran. Shoffner would vote to end the war, saying, “I don’t believe in endless wars, and I don’t believe in blank checks.”

– Shoffner called for producing not just a farm bill but a “food bill” where farmers produce food that people eat rather than soybeans. She said she disagreed with Senate Democrats who kept the latest farm bill from passing out of committee. Wadlin said farm policy long-term should move away from subsidizing crops because it is trapping farmers in not-very-profitable ventures. 

– They both oppose blanket tariffs but said targeted tariffs can be OK.

Their debate followed one featuring 4th District Congressman Bruce Westerman and his Democratic opponent, James Russell. Three more days of debates were to follow. They were starting with the governor’s and the 1st Congressional District debates on Wednesday, followed by the 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts and secretary of state debates on Thursday. I’ll disclose that I was a panelist on the Senate debate and will be one in the governor’s and 2nd District debates. 

Kudos to Arkansas TV for hosting the debates, and to the candidates for participating. All four of Arkansas’ members of the U.S. House of Representatives are taking part even though only one – Rep. French Hill in the 2nd District – is involved in a competitive race, his with Democrat Chris Jones. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is participating even though she has far more money than her opponents and can simply blanket the airwaves, as Cotton has done.

You can watch them all on Arkansas TV’s YouTube channel between now and Election Day, which is Nov. 3.

The debates give Arkansans a chance to make informed choices rather than relying on uninformative and sometimes inaccurate 30-second ads.

And they are not the only way voters can make informed choices. Local news outlets like the one you are probably reading now can provide good information, particularly about local races. 

Arkansans will vote yes or no on three proposed constitutional amendments referred to them by legislators, as well as on a $500 million bond issue for water and wastewater projects. For a thorough, unbalanced explanation of all four, go to the Cooperative Extension Service Public Policy Center’s website, uaex.uada.edu.

The best sources of information about political candidates are often the candidates themselves. Last Saturday morning, one of my daughters told me that a gentleman had left a hanger advertisement on our door. I hurried outside hoping it was my city council member, and it was. A 10-minute conversation let me know that I would be just fine with his continuing in office. In the course of that visit, he said with a hint of dismay that many people don’t want to talk. 

There are plenty of ways for Arkansans to educate themselves about their ballot choices. It starts with knowing what’s on the ballot itself. You can see yours at the secretary of state’s VoterView site at www.voterview.ar-nova.org. 

Steve Brawner’s column is syndicated to 24 news outlets in Arkansas. Email him at brawnersteve@mac.com.