It appears Jerry Kilgore is scared to death of Russ Potts. He won’t participate in a debate that includes independent candidate Russ Potts.
Asked by a reporter at a pep rally/news conference for the GOP ticket whether that meant he would not participate in debates that included Potts, Kilgore replied, “That’s a no.”
Kilgore and Kaine meet before the Virginia Bar Association on July 16 in a debate that the lawyers organization said will not be opened to Potts because it was arranged before he entered the campaign in February.
That’s a pretty lame excuse for the Virginia Bar. If Potts should garner 50% of the vote in a poll, not including him in the debate would be ludicrous. The 15% threshold seems reasonable — to everyone but Kilgore, according to Larry Sabato.
He said Kilgore is blocking participation by Potts, even ruling out a recommendation lifted from the presidential debate commission: that a debate should be opened to independent or third-party candidates who reach 15 percent or more in at least two non-partisan polls.
Sabato said Kilgore’s resistance to Potts is an indication Kilgore fears the senator will snatch votes that ordinarily fall to a Republican.
“It says the Kilgore campaign has analyzed that in the end Russ Potts will hurt [Kilgore] more than Tim Kaine,” Sabato said.
Kaine is fine with Potts’ participation.
Run, Jerry, but you cannot hide.