October 1, 2004

Coward

In Tennessee state politics, House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, a liberal Democrat and longtime good ol' boy power broker in the state legislature, has agreed to meet his Republican challenger, Dr. Jesse Cannon, an African American doctor, in a debate, but with one condition:

Naifeh refuses to debate in front of an audience.

The debate will be held in a TV studio and televised. Perhaps Naifeh doesn't want viewers to see an audience reacting negatively to him and what he has to say.

Dr. Cannon's comments: "My position has been from the beginning that I would debate Mr. Naifeh any time, any place and under any conditions. I have only objected to the Speaker's demand to ban voters from the debate because so many of the local citizens have expressed a desire to personally see the two of us as we discuss the important issues.

"I am still surprised that Representative Naifeh refuses to appear before an audience of his constituents. Why would a politician adamantly refuse to appear before his own constituents in his own district? We are willing. Why is he not?"

Because he's a coward.