Libertarian candidate for governor, Mike Munger, was not invited by WRAL-TV to participate in last night’s gubernatorial debate featuring Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory (R). WRAL officials say Munger, chairman of the political science department at Duke, has not reached 10 percent in polling and had, therefore, not met the station’s threshold for receiving an invitation.
This Duke Chronicle story, however, shines light on an interesting point made by Munger related to former Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Orr, who lost to McCrory in the primary (emphasis is mine):
“As a media company that affects to care about the public good, WRAL should not make decisions that clearly protect the entrenched interests of the political duopoly that controls this state,” he said in an Aug. 28 press release posted on his Web site. Munger’s statement also said WRAL invited Republican candidate Bob Orr to a Jan. 17 Gubernatorial primary debate even though Orr failed to reach 10 percent in a poll conducted in that month.
“So, the policy is applied arbitrarily and is simply something concocted to restrict voter access to information,” Munger said.
Craigie said Orr was given an invitation because he met the 10 percent threshold in a poll taken before McCrory entered the race. Orr dropped below 10 percent after McCrory’s entry. She noted that Munger had declined several alternative offers, including the chance to post a video on WRAL.com.
