Beth Macy has seized the upper hand over Ben Cline in the debate over debates, with news that she will be the one sitting with an empty chair at a Community Conversation in Clifton Forge on Oct. 14, because Cline didn’t respond to the invite, which came from Mountain Gateway Community College and the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce.
A release from Macy’s Sixth District congressional campaign on Tuesday tells us she will “maintain her commitment” to appear at the event, which we learned on Monday was being canceled because of the Cline no-response.
The campaign released a lengthy statement on the matter from Macy, which we’re reproducing here in full:
Ben Cline ghosted the good people of Clifton Forge on their invitation to speak directly to voters of the Alleghany Highlands. This maintains his pattern of dodging, ducking and avoiding chances to meet me in public in a real debate.
In August, Cline did not respond to a debate invitation from Cardinal News and Roanoke College for an event that would have been held on the college’s campus. Instead, he scheduled a list of appearances at lunchtime ‘forums,’ rather than debate me. I agreed to a joint appearance in Harrisonburg, which was subsequently cancelled by the host.
Cline’s vanishing act isn’t surprising, because he’s been MIA in the Sixth District.
In May, he told Charlottesville’s 29News that he planned to hold town hall meetings with constituents in all 22 localities. So far, he has held zero.
With 35 days to go before Election Day, the congressman sure is going to be busy with town hall appearances. Let us know if you see a rare Ben Cline sighting in the wild!
And in Roanoke, he has not met with constituents who have gathered outside his office every Monday for 88 straight weeks, through heat, rain, wind and sleet. Not even a wave or a hello.
And now he ignores the good people of Clifton Forge and the Alleghany Highlands.
I will keep my word, and I look forward to meeting folks in Clifton Forge on Oct. 14.
ICYMI
- Sixth District race: Beth Macy challenges Ben Cline to three candidate debates
- Update: Ben Cline tries to squirm out of actual debates: Beth Macy ain’t havin’ it
- Ben Cline makes issue of fake ‘debate’ in front of MAGA business group
- Ben Cline goes solo, as planned, at Salem Rotary Club event: Where’s the beef?
- Is Ben Cline calling the Harrisonburg Rotary Club liars? Sure seems like it
- Beth Macy commits to Mountain Gateway joint forum: What about Ben Cline?
- Ben Cline leaving the chair empty at Oct. 14 Clifton Forge forum, which is now off
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Chris Graham
