Newspaper Association's 'Cattle-Call' Debate

In what one newspaper described as a cattle call, at least 20 candidates for Minnesota governor appeared at a debate event Wednesday night sponsored by the Minnesota Newspaper Association. The group debate was part of the association's annual convention in Bloomington, Minn. State precinct caucuses are scheduled for next Tuesday.

"With that many candidates, the organizers limited participants to one-minute answers to the questions, and not all the candidates got to answer the same questions," the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. "So at best, the audience got a brief introduction to each contender and heard his or her favorite talking points." Democracy in action, or is it inaction? -- Joe Strupp