Arizona gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who currently serves as the state’s secretary of state, has gone to extraordinary lengths to dodge a public debate with her Republican opponent, Trump-backed former news anchor Kari Lake. Indeed, Hobbs’s repeated efforts to avoid a debate have drawn so much attention that they’ve become an issue of their own.
There are several reasons why Hobbs would choose to steer clear of a debate.
First, she may not want voters to discover just how liberal her positions are. Hobbs has said there should be no legal limits on abortion, for example. In contrast, Lake wants to limit abortion to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. Hobbs has also described being “outraged” at the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down New York’s concealed carry gun law in June.
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That’s not a comfortable stance to adopt in Arizona. Take the recent Project Veritas Action reporter who approached Hobbs as she sat at an outdoor cafe. Hobbs immediately stood up and ran to the ladies’ room. She remained there until Joe Wolf, the campaign’s head political consultant, arrived to escort her to a waiting vehicle. Wolf revealed to the reporter that Hobbs was concealing her more extreme position on guns because “there’s nothing she could do about it — at least immediately, right? Except kind of advocating for it publicly, which is really more impactful once you’re governor. So, it’s kind of like, this state is crazy about their guns, so we’re not gonna take the beating for it before she can do anything about it.”
The most damaging portion of the video is a discussion among campaign staffers about how to keep Hobbs from having to debate Lake.
But perhaps the main reason why Hobbs refuses to share a debate stage with Lake is her fear that Lake would win easily. Hobbs is uninspiring and totally devoid of charisma. The contrast with the fiery and unflappable Lake would only highlight Hobbs’s shortcomings. Hobbs’s cringeworthy performance at a recent Hispanic Chamber of Commerce event shows that she’s incapable of thinking on her feet. The moderator asked how the Latino community has affected Hobbs personally. “What have you learned, specifically learned, from the Latino community?”
“Oh, that’s a great question,” Hobbs said. “Um, I don’t necessarily think about it that way, in those terms. I think I really value my relationships across the board with different folks, and I learn all the time from people in my life. … My sister-in-law, she is Latino, and her family — I love hanging out with them and practicing my español un piquito,” she added.
A high school senior running for class president could have provided a better answer. The moderator pressed. “So, there is not one specific lesson you can share, other than the español? It’s one-third of the state.”
“Uh, yes, absolutely. I mean, I think there’s many lessons: The emphasis on family values, hard work. Those are something that I value in my own life, and, you know, it’s something that I respect,” Hobbs said.
On Wednesday, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell asked Hobbs why she won’t debate Lake. She replied, “All three top Republicans are election deniers. How do you debate someone who refuses to accept the truth? Who doesn’t live in facts? … [A]ll she’s going to do is shout over me, interrupt me, and spew lies.”
Hobbs’s obsessive determination to avoid a debate may explain why she’s losing ground in the polls. On Thursday, a FOX 10/InsiderAdvantage poll showed Lake up 3 points. One month ago, Hobbs led by 1 point in the same poll. On Friday, the RealClearPolitics average of polls showed Lake ahead by 1 point.
Debates are an integral part of the democratic process. A debate is essentially a job interview for a political candidate. Voters have every right to see how aspiring leaders react to hard questions and how they conduct themselves under pressure. No intelligent business owner would make an important hiring decision without interviewing a candidate first. Likewise, no voters should cast their ballots until they’ve completed their due diligence.
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Elizabeth Stauffer is a contributor to the Washington Examiner and the Western Journal. Her articles have appeared at MSN, RedState, Newsmax, the Federalist, and RealClearPolitics. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.
