Hoffman fails local issues test

We’ve been hearing a flood of comments from voters who complain the 23rd Congressional candidates have been silent on bread-and-butter North Country issues, instead sticking to the memes of their national parties.

The Watertown Daily Times wrote a great editorial today to this effect.

Too bad Conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman didn’t bother to read it. He showed up at an editorial meeting at the Times unable to speak to key North Country issues: the Seaway, the rooftop highway, all questions printed for anyone to read in this morning’s paper.

Reporter Jude Seymour was in the room and has the, at times, tense and uncomfortable details.

Republican Dede Scozzafava can talk backwards and forwards about these and many other local issues – she’s represented the region for more than a decade. But she’s struggling to get anyone to listen to her, what with an epic GOP civil war eclipsing her campaign, national “this is an Obama referendum” style coverage, and the lack of a single debate at this stage in the race.

Democrat Bill Owens has also been largely silent on many North Country “local” issues.

Two debates are scheduled next week: Wednesday in Plattsburgh (with only Scozzafava and Owens) and Thursday in Syracuse with all three candidates. Can Scozzafava use them to regain her footing and stand strong on her experience with North Country issues? Will Hoffman and Owens brush up on their local knowledge? Is it too late in the game to make much of a difference?

One big question I have: the Syracuse debate is hosted by WSYR, a commercial TV station, and is closed to the public and other reporters. WSYR has no experience reporting on North Country issues. I found no North Country news on its website. To be fair, it’s owned by the same company that owns WWTI-50 in Watertown, which does do extensive local coverage.

Will WSYR put all three candidates’ feet to the fire and ask questions that are relevant to 23rd district voters, both national and regional scope? Voters sure hope so.