A real debate or a three ring circus? 

The one and only "debate" that Dem gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland has agreed to participate in with opponent Sam Bregman is in fact not a debate but one of the oddest set-ups for a candidate face-off ever seen in these enchanted parts.

The event, scheduled for May 2 in ABQ, features three rounds that have hardly any similarity to what most voters expect from a debate--an intense question and answer session where the contenders fire off responses and rebut the answers of their opponents with journalists serving as the arbiters.

In this "debate" sponsored by the progressive group Dukes Up that traditional and time-tested playbook is thrown out the window in favor of a forum featuring three separate rounds which could easily turn into a three ring circus. 

They are actually calling the event "Debate Games" so the circus analogy may not be far off:   

Styled as the “Governor Debate Games,” the event will feature elements of debate and policy-focused competition, divided into three rounds. 

Round One: Student Team Competition. The first round will pair each candidate with one of three small groups of high school students. Leading up to the event, the candidates will be encouraged to communicate their policy positions to their team of students. At the event, the candidate’s student team will be asked a series of multiple choice questions about their candidate’s policy positions. The team that correctly picks their candidate’s answer will score a point. The winning team will bring a trophy back to their school. 

Our take: Are we having a debate to inform voters who can actually vote or pick a high school class president? And where are Haaland and Bregman in this bizarre celebration of teen spirit? On the playground? 

Bregman and Haaland

Round Two: Questions from Participating Organizations. Round Two will be more like a traditional candidate forum, with open questions asked to each candidate, who provide a time-limited response. The questions will be authored by such groups as. . .the ACLU of NM, the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, and the NM Center for Biological Diversity, with many more invitations to be made. There will be a “game” component to this round as well. Judges in the live audience will decide whether each candidate answered (rather than evaded) each question. Score will be kept. 

Our take: What a round! This is sure to add spark by focusing on rigid ideological queries favored by interest groups. This sounds more like a litmus test than an authentic attempt to solicit the views of the candidates. What happened to old fashioned journalism? And who are the judges? Members in good standing of a Kangaroo Court? 

Round Three: Candidate Questions. Each candidate will ask their opponent one question of their own choosing. 

Our take: Be still my heart! We actually get a debate--of one single question. 

The only improvement to be made to this peculiar spectacle is to have the cheerleaders from the winning high school in round one entertain at half-time. Better yet, send in the clowns. 

THE BOTTOM LINES 

In a first draft Tuesday we had the Dem preprimary convention taking place at Ruidoso. It was held at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero. The GOP preprimary was held at Ruidoso.

This the Home of New Mexico Politics.