Six ties over America

[Nancy Holmes <ncmholmes@moscow.com>]

Dear Mike, Sue et al;

My previous post concerning the Chamber of Commerce luncheon was meant
primarily to inform those who didn't attend.

I didn't mention specifically who was tied and who was not but Mike Curley
may have spilled the beans about himself.

In response to Sue's points of concern:

#1 The moderator won't determine whether it is dull or not. If responses
are timed the necessity of a moderator is diminished. But if we were to
speak freely the moderator would obviously have a duty to insure fair play.

#2  Good advice about dinner. The food was good at the C of C luncheon but
I noticed Mike Thomason didn't eat all of his cubed potatoes. Voters take
note.

#3 A guillotine? How lovely! And here I was suggesting that the moderator
have a mere gavel.  I didn't raise questions about the format earlier
because of a slight temporal impossibility. I had not experienced the
format earlier. I would have liked to hear more from each candidate - the
format prevented that. This is, of course, quite acceptable in the context
of a business luncheon where the attendees have their own particular
schedules to satisfy.

#4 I wouldn't suggest a long evening just for the sake of it but we should
serve the interests of those who choose to attend by trying to insure they
learn about the candidates. Your point about eloquence and articulation is
well taken and I think audiences may be more swayed by that than perhaps
they should - especially in a timed format which tends to favor candidates
with such attributes. Lincoln, the Republican, probably won the presidency
because of the rift in the Democratic party that began in the
Lincoln-Douglas debates and caused many southerners to side with Buchanan.
The Democratic party could not agree on a nominee for the 1860 election so
essentially Abe competed with a bunch of Independents. I think if we had
started earlier we might have been be able to create a similar situation in
the City Council race based on the pivotal necktie issue.

#5 Do you realize I can win this bet by just wearing six neckties myself?

Things are beginning to get interesting, aren't they?

							-  Evan Holmes