RK ARCHIVE - The Examiner Quotes Ben and Me on Debate

Interestingly, while the bloggers have been accessible, the debate moderator - Fairfax League of Women Voters President Sherry Zachry - has "refused comment" and "did not return a phone call Thursday." That's very unfortunate, given that many in the audience were "angered" by the way the debate was conducted (Smyth always got to go second, the moderator actually prompted Smyth on a question) and were left "questioning Zachry's impartiality" (according to the Examiner story). You'd think she would want to clear this up, you know?

Comments

Sherry Zachry (Go Hokies - 5/27/2007 9:23:03 AM)

I hope that everyone in Providence who has been following the debate fiasco will write, call, or e-mail the League of Women Voters. Ms. Zachry's e-mail address is at the link below and is easy enough to find in a Google search. Since she will not respond to questions re the debate, let's e-mail her.

The League can be contacted at:
Sherry W. Zachry, President
LWV of the Fairfax Area
4026 Hummer Road
Annandale, VA 22003
703-658-9150

http://www.lwv-fairf...

Sherry Zachry (voter4change - 5/27/2007 4:04:40 PM)

I believe that the League of Women voters, Sherry Zachry, should be held totally responsible for the way the Q & A went during the debate. The focus should be also on Linda Smyth. She stood by and watched. She did nothing to intervene. All it would have taken is for Linda to have said, "I have no problem with alternating. Lets do it." Instead Linda watched. The most significant point during this whole evening that showed why we should vote for Charlie Hall, is that Charlie tried to intervene when the audience was getting a bit frustrated. At least he tried. Linda said nothing. This is the same thing she does when her constitutents are being verbally abused by a member of he Board, including Connolly.

Citizens of Providence deserve better. That is why Charlie Hall is the choice. Vote on June 12 for Charlie.

"Credentialed Press" (relawson - 5/27/2007 9:26:50 AM)

Will usually not say what the establishment or advertisers do not want them to say.

With 24 hour news that serves as propoganda (remember the countdown to war?) there is really no point to attending a school of journalism. You most likely won't be objective in your reporting.

The most successful journalists also happen to be the least objective. The reason is because they aren't journalists anymore - rather entertainment.

A Once Respected Organization (AnonymousIsAWoman - 5/27/2007 4:08:38 PM)

The League of Women Voters was always one of the most well-respected, non-partisan groups. Their fairness - especially in conducting debates - was the gold standard and they worked tirelessly for good government.

How sad, then, that the chapter in Fairfax and its president Sherry Zachry are squandering that good reputation. It may be time for candidates, bloggers and citizens to boycott debates sponsored and conducted by them. But if we do, then we need to have alternate debate venues so that refusing to debate in front of LWV does not become a refusal to debate at all.

That would be unfair (Tink - 5/27/2007 5:02:52 PM)

To not participate in any LWV debates because of the fault of one local League is pretty unfair. Many Leagues have worked long and hard to build their reputations. And they do their communities an incredible service. They had nothing to do with what happened in Fairfax.

You don't fix one unfair debate by turning around and being unfair yourself.

A lifetime to build a reputation... (HerbE - 5/27/2007 6:12:39 PM)

One careless act to destroy it. The LWV did tremendous harm to itself by it's conduct at the Hall-Smyth candidate forum. Even the VA LWV state president was present at this function and refused to intervene. Apparently, the LWV has lost the definition of the words non-partisan and fairness. A clear bias towards a candidate would make other candidates refuse to participate in the future...for good reason.