Stewart, Pancake debate cancelled

by Matt Hutton
State Senior Writer

A scheduled debate between the candidates for the 92nd House District seat, Democrat Jim Pancake and Republican Jimmy Stewart, was cancelled after a moderator change prompted Stewart to leave.

The debate, scheduled two months ago, was to take place 9 a.m. Saturday at radio station WAIS during the show ••Viewpoint.•• The show is hosted Monday through Friday by Sharon Elliot, daughter of station owner Eugene “Joe” Edwards. Edwards hosts the show on the weekend.

Stewart said he agreed to the debate only if Elliot was the moderator, despite the debate airing on a day Edwards was supposed to moderate. He believed Elliot would be less biased because she had not invested thousands of dollars into Pancakes’ campaign, as Edwards had. Edwards, owner of WAIS and Movies 10, is one of Pancake’s largest contributors.   

When Stewart arrived at WAIS, Elliot was not there and Edwards told him he had no idea the debate was scheduled to take place.

“This shows me a complete and total lack of honesty on the part of Mr. Edwards,” Stewart said. “There is no way this man did not know there was a debate involving a candidate he backed on a show he was the host of when his own daughter was the moderator. There’s no conceivable way he would not have known.”

Edwards was not available for comment. Elliot declined to comment on the situation, saying she would explain today at 9 a.m. during ••Viewpoint••.

Edwards offered to conduct the debate, but Stewart said he did not believe it would be fair if the moderator were Pancake’s largest contributor and biggest supporter.

“I don’t know why Jimmy left,” Pancake said. “Joe’s always been fair. If Jimmy is going to act this way, how will he act when he gets in the House?”

Pancake, who went on the air after Stewart left, said he was glad he was able to make his points. He left when a caller said he should not be on if Stewart was not there.

Stewart was also upset by Edwards’ on-air comments during the show when he said since both Elliot and Edwards had already made up their mind, the radio station was not the right forum for a debate.

Stewart said it was Elliot who repeatedly contacted him to do the debate.

This is not the first missed debate between the two, Pancake said. Stewart failed to show up for a Thursday night debate at Lottridge, a city east of Athens.

Stewart said he was never contacted about the Lottridge debate and would have attended if he had known.

Both candidates and candidates for probate/juvenile court judge, county commissioner and county auditor will appear 7 p.m. at the City Council Chambers tomorrow in a meet-the-candidates style debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

“Jimmy, I hope you show up for at least the final debate,” Pancake said.

Stewart said he would love to debate Pancake and had been looking forward to Saturday’s radio debate.

“I would gladly debate the guy in Peden stadium and fill the place up,” Stewart said.