On Second Thought

As you may have read yesterday in the comments section, the Oct. 26 House debate has been cancelled. City Councilor Steve DiNatale informed us yesterday he will not participate.

DiNatale said he had not been contacted since winning the primary and his schedule is full. He also decided he will debate Republican Edward Niemczura once, on Nov. 2 at Fitchburg State College.

The folks who put together the now-dead Oct. 26 debate -- myself, Ralph Romano and FATV -- acknowledge we haven't talked to DiNatale since the primary. In fact, yesterday, we all agreed that this week we all independently thought we needed to contact the campaigns.

However, we all agreed that contact was a mere formality, a checking in, if you will, with the candidates. In our minds, this thing was booked.

Why did we think that?

We announced our debates (a primary election debate, including DiNatale, was held on Sept. 7) on June 22. The press release (which you can find on that date in the archives, right) notes the Oct. 26 debate. Also, since a bit later in the summer, debate information has been posted on the right side of the front page of Save Fitchburg. See, it's over there right now.

And don't think for a second think DiNatale or people very close to him don't read the site. Yesterday's post, which mentions the debate, was posted at 12:30. DiNatale called me less than an hour later. So they're reading.

Our largest source of confirmation came from DiNatale himself. At the end of the Sept. 7 debate, Romano invited all the candidates back, on the air. After the debate, Romano and I independently reminded each candidate of the Oct. 26 debate. I know I made a point of getting to DiNatale, because I was pretty sure he would win the primary. He gave every indication he was in.

Finally, the Oct. 26 was mentioned in the Worcester Telegram on June 26, Aug. 16, and Sept. 8.

Above and beyond all that, DiNatale knew the debate was on for at least a while. In our conversation yesterday, he said he was going to wait “until the last minute” to tell us he was out, but decided after yesterday’s post that it wouldn’t be decent to wait, because we were moving forward. So clearly, he knew about it because his original game plan was to make us wait until what, Oct. 24 to drop the bomb on us.

DiNatale is pointing, and will point, the finger at us for not communicating with him since the primary, and he has something of a point. However, as the above shows, this Oct. 26 date was not a secret, and he told Ralph and myself at the Sept. 7 debate that he was on board.

Why not debate Niemczura twice? He made it clear to Romano and I yesterday he was meeting the GOP candidate only once. What can he possibly be afraid of? Is Niemczura really that good? That much of a threat? It’s a cautious and play-to-not-lose move.

Is DiNatale under any obligation to do two debates? No. The point is he told Romano and myself he’d be there, and he won’t be. So, if you care about this race, make sure you watch the Nov. 2 debate. It’s the only chance you’ll get, because that’s the way Steve DiNatale wants it.