Beaumont Enterprise: Patrick owes Texans debate with opponent

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is challenging the wrong guy to a debate. He should be facing off against his Democratic opponent, Mike Collier, about issues that directly affect Texans. Instead he’s challenging Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera to a debate over national illegal immigration policies.

Texas voters should not let a stunt like that go unpunished. Patrick can easily avoid that by simply agreeing to stand next to his opponent like a man and take unscripted questions from a neutral moderator. That would allow voters to see both candidates think on their feet instead of relying on slick commercials or press releases by their aides.

So far, however, not only has Patrick refused to debate Collier, he’s scorned the very possibility and acted as if his Democratic opponent is unworthy of sharing the same space with him.

Patrick’s spokesman, Allen Blakemore, even had the gall to say recently, “It’s no secret that Lt. Gov. Patrick relishes debates, but since his opponent shows no signs of grasping even the most basic rudiments of state government, our campaign has no plans to debate him.”

First, many Texans may not realize “it’s no secret that Patrick relishes debates” because he didn’t debate his Democratic opponent four years ago. If Patrick truly “relishes” these exchanges, he can prove it by actually participating in one.

While both parties have occasionally put forth characters for important offices, Collier is a legitimate candidate. In fact, Patrick’s opponent in the Republican primary this year, Scott Milder, has endorsed Collier in the general election. That rarely happens in Texas politics for either party. Milder said he was switching his party allegiance to curb “irrational, out-of-touch politics.”

Immigration affects this state too, of course, but it’s national in scope. Patrick’s challenge to Rivera was spurred by the murder of Mollie Tibbets — in Iowa, not Texas — by an illegal immigrant, who has admitted that he abducted the young woman while she was jogging.

That issue is important, but it shouldn’t replace a debate between statewide candidates. As we have said many times, candidates in both parties owe that to voters. It’s basic, like revealing age, background, sources of income, etc. Voters deserve that, plain and simple.

Sen. Ted Cruz is just as fervent a Republican as Patrick, but he has agreed to several debates with his Democratic opponent, Beto O’Rourke. If Cruz can take a gutsy stand like that, so can Patrick.

Voters will be considering a variety of factors when they enter the voting booth on Nov. 6. One of them should be whether a candidate has embraced or ducked a chance to square off against his or her opponent from a major party. So far, Patrick is abdicating that ground to Collier.