This has been tried before, but I’ll make another honest stab at it. I really do think the selection process served both the public and the candidate poorly by not building in the opportunity for this sort of normal back-and-forth.
So here it goes, no gotchas — just straight-up questions.
When did you decide to run for sheriff?
Do you recall ever discussing your campaign plan with any member of the county commission or County Manager Harry Jones, or recall anyone mentioning that they might have passed word of your campaign on to those individuals?
How did you go about selecting new precinct leaders? Were many, most, or any of these people involved in your 2006 district court race?
Who were your principal advisers on how to mount this campaign? Did it take long to research party rules on the contest?
How were your certain — if you were certain — that there would be no other candidate from outside the sheriff’s office aside from yourself? When did you know you were the only “outside” candidate?
Are there any papers or research projects from your academic career you’d like to share with the public which help reflect your thinking on issues of crime and punishment in America?
Have you conducted interviews with or supplied information to The Charlotte Observer which have yet to be published or otherwise disclosed to the public? If so, why do you think that might be the case?
Well, that’s that.
