through advertisements. Maidi Terry, a Phoenix-area middle school teacher who worked to pass the Clean Elections Act in 1998, thinks the quality of debates has “certainly deteriorated” because candidates can just get their names out and “convince rich people to give money.” “For a politician that is focused on getting reelected and courting power, it doesn’t make sense to spend time with voters” or their opponents, Terry said. “It’s been a slow, downhill climb to where we are now, which is a system that’s completely driven by money interests.” One Democratic political consultant, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, echoed that sentiment. “It matters a lot less to take the risk on this high-intensity, high- impact moment” of a debate, the consultant said, “when you can just spend another million dollars to communicate exactly what you want to voters.” Coughlin used to work for campaigns, but the modern political climate has deterred him from doing that anymore. Today’s campaigns — and, by extension, debates — are all about “shitting on the other guy and finger-pointing,” he said, calling them “just vacuous affairs, completely devoid of any substance.” That’s probably obvious to anyone who’s watched any of them. Some are childish fist- fights, like the GOP primary debate between attorney general hopefuls Warren Petersen and Rodney Glassman. Others, including the GOP gubernatorial debate, are snoozefests — boring candidates answering esoteric questions and never actually addressing each other, much less matching wits. For Nelson Morgan, the chair of the Arizona Democratic Party’s redistricting committee, debates may produce a “good soundbite” or a “good gotcha” but little else. He made similar arguments in a 2022 op-ed defending Hobbs for not debating. “Barring some complete blunder by someone, or just some real performance problem,” Morgan told New Times, “I don’t think they have that much of an effect.” Will they/won’t they Will we, at long last, get a gubernatorial debate? That remains to be seen, but the political tea leaves suggest not. Biggs is raring to get one. Speaking to New Times before a get-out-the-vote rally in Gilbert on July 17, he made the case for why Hobbs should suck it up and take one for the voters. The race for governor is a “high- profile statewide campaign,” he said, and voters want candidates to “stand up and defend your positions.” “That’s important just to show some minimal level of competency and ability to communicate,” he said. Whatever one thinks of Hobbs’ gover- nance — whether she’s been a bulwark against harmful GOP policies or a roadblock to common-sense, conservative legislation — “ability to communicate” has never been one of her fortes. Even when speaking on relatively trivial subjects, Hobbs can appear wary of letting loose an extemporaneous phrase. In June, as she made an appearance at the opening of Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s mega-gas station in Goodyear, opponents ridiculed her for having to read her short remarks off an iPad. That visible crutch is likely a symptom of what one of the consultants who spoke to New Times described as the “bubble” that Hobbs’ team, headed by campaign manager Nicole DeMont, has built around her to protect her “out of concern for the delicate- ness of her personality.” Johnson, the former Democratic candidate for governor, agreed. Hobbs’ team has “intentionally done the best they can” to keep her from having “to talk about complex ideas of complex issues,” he said. “There’s no real long-form content she’s doing. I mean, she does ‘Bruce and Gaydos.’” That’s why many think it’s unlikely that Hobbs will ever debate Biggs. “They’ve kept her in the bubble and it’s hurt Hobbs,” the consultant said. “I’m sure she could do it. She doesn’t want to do it; nobody wants to do it.’” The debate question may also depend on how campaign season progresses. As the challenger, Biggs has every incentive to press Hobbs on the issue and to go after her should they ever share a stage. In the primary, the political wind blew the other direction — as the frontrunner, Biggs partic- ipated in one debate, which he used to sell himself as more moderate than he’s ever been in his life. He skipped subsequent debates, arguing that he’d gotten his message across to voters. Seemingly without irony, Hobbs’ campaign blasted him for trying to avoid scrutiny. Hobbs’ team is considering that same cost-benefit analysis now. A debate’s influ- ence on a healthy democracy is unlikely to be part of the equation. “If Katie thinks she’s ahead by 10 points, the answer will be no,” Johnson said. “She’s one of the few candidates that if she were losing, I think she might still say no. But I could guess that if Andy Biggs was winning, he’d say no. Whereas if he was losing, he says yes.” Speaking to New Times, Biggs acknowl- edged that a debate might not be all that important. Not every voter would tune in, and fewer would change their minds after- ward. Still, he said, there could be a small percentage of “folks that are questioning which way they want to go and who can be persuaded to one way or the other. That might not even be 10% of the viewing audi- ence, but you might get a half a point to one and a half points of movement, and that in a close election is huge.” So he’ll keep pushing for one, maybe because it’s good for democracy, and defi- nitely because it’s politically good for him right now. Hobbs may be working with a different set of variables — the advantage of incumbency, the risk a debate gaffe could cause, her apparent discomfort in front of a microphone — but her ultimate debate deci- sion will be just as self-interested. “I don’t think she wants to debate with me,” Biggs told New Times. “I don’t think that debating is really something that she’s comfortable with or really wants to do.” The Debate About Debates from p 11 Questions? Feedback? Email me at [email protected] • Follow me on RATING (out of 5 McFly’s) SUBARU WILDERNESS OUTBACK: THE OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF “LET’S SEE WHERE THIS ROAD GOES” 2026 SUBARU OUTBACK WILDERNESS The 2026 Subaru Outback The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness isn’t trying to impress Wilderness isn’t trying to impress the valet. It’s trying to convince the valet. It’s trying to convince you to skip the highway, ignore you to skip the highway, ignore your GPS, and see what your GPS, and see what happens when the pavement happens when the pavement ends. Starting at $50,535 ends. Starting at $50,535 and powered by Subaru’s and powered by Subaru’s turbocharged 2.4-liter DOHC turbocharged 2.4-liter DOHC Boxer engine, this thing looks like Boxer engine, this thing looks like it came from the factory wearing it came from the factory wearing hiking boots. It gets 21 MPG in hiking boots. It gets 21 MPG in the city and 27 on the highway, the city and 27 on the highway, which is a perfectly reasonable which is a perfectly reasonable tradeoff when your SUV is built to tradeoff when your SUV is built to handle roads that Google Maps handle roads that Google Maps labels with a question mark. labels with a question mark. The Wilderness trim is what The Wilderness trim is what happens when Subaru looks at happens when Subaru looks at the already-capable Outback the already-capable Outback and says, “Yeah...but let’s make and says, “Yeah...but let’s make it a little crazier.” It sits higher, it a little crazier.” It sits higher, feels tougher, and has the kind feels tougher, and has the kind of confidence that makes gravel of confidence that makes gravel roads seem like an invitation roads seem like an invitation instead of a warning. The instead of a warning. The turbocharged Boxer engine has turbocharged Boxer engine has enough punch to make passing enough punch to make passing slower traffic easy, while Subaru’s slower traffic easy, while Subaru’s legendary all-wheel drive gives legendary all-wheel drive gives you the feeling that you’d have to you the feeling that you’d have to try pretty hard to get stuck. The try pretty hard to get stuck. The best part? It never feels like you’re best part? It never feels like you’re driving a giant off-road tank. It’s driving a giant off-road tank. It’s still comfortable enough to knock still comfortable enough to knock out a four-hour road trip without out a four-hour road trip without needing a chiropractor afterward. needing a chiropractor afterward. Here’s what I’ve always Here’s what I’ve always liked about Subaru owners: liked about Subaru owners: they’re believable. Nobody they’re believable. Nobody buys an Outback Wilderness buys an Outback Wilderness because they’re trying to look because they’re trying to look adventurous on Instagram. They adventurous on Instagram. They buy one because there’s a decent buy one because there’s a decent chance they’re actually headed chance they’re actually headed to a campsite, a trailhead, or to a campsite, a trailhead, or somewhere without cell service. somewhere without cell service. The Wilderness doesn’t pretend The Wilderness doesn’t pretend to be a luxury SUV, and it to be a luxury SUV, and it certainly doesn’t need fake certainly doesn’t need fake vents or oversized wheels to get vents or oversized wheels to get attention. It’s practical, capable, attention. It’s practical, capable, and unapologetically authentic. and unapologetically authentic. In a world where so many SUVs In a world where so many SUVs are built for appearances, the are built for appearances, the Outback Wilderness still feels Outback Wilderness still feels like it was built for stories. And like it was built for stories. And those usually start with someone those usually start with someone saying, “I know a shortcut.” saying, “I know a shortcut.” Comfort: Value: Fuel Economy: Looks: The Drive: Safety & Security: Overall: Sound System: Bells & Whistles:
