Several high-profile incumbent politicians have been reluctant to participate in debates in recent weeks. Montclair State University Political science professor Brigid Callahan Harrison says it’s a tactic that could benefit their bid for re-election as challengers lose an opportunity for free media coverage.
“They need the name recognition. They need to get their name in front of voters. They want to make people aware of their stances, particularly the difference between them and the incumbent.”
She says incumbents can dodge contentious questions when declining to participate in debates.
“Essentially not be able to take these stances that could get them in hot water in the weeks before the election. As long as you have competitive elections where incumbents are trying to dodge questions, we’ll have this continuation of people trying to skip debates.
Harrison says it’s likely the trend of skipping debates will continue.
But sometimes debates serve as voter validation.
“Because there’s such an abundance of information available, what we find is the people that end up watching debates, many of them have already made up their mind. Watching the debate simply serves to confirm who should get their vote.”