Mike Mazzei officially dodges debate with Gentner Drummond…

Of all the cynical games politicians play, one of my favorites is the sacred art of dodging a debate.

It’s a pretty delicate dance. You can’t just come out and admit that you’re winning or that your opponent is a better speaker. Instead, you have to dress it up with scheduling conflicts, campaign logistics, or some other excuse that makes hiding from voters sound like responsible time management.

Case in point – Oklahoma gubernatorial front-runner Mike Mazzei.

Just a few months after raising his hand on live television and agreeing to participate in another debate if he made the GOP runoff for governor, the former state senator, financial planner, and Trump-endorsed smelter enthusiast has apparently decided that standing on a stage and answering questions is no longer part of the campaign plan.

Earlier today, YawnDoc reported that Mazzei has declined an invitation from them and KSWO to debate Gentner Drummond ahead of the August 25 runoff.

Here are the deets:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei has declined an invitation from NonDoc and KSWO to participate in a televised debate with opponent Gentner Drummond ahead of the Aug. 25 runoff election.

During a May 28 debate co-hosted by NonDoc and the Lawton-based TV station, Drummond and Mazzei each raised their hands in affirmation that they would participate in another debate if they made the runoff.

But Mazzei spokesman Hudson Talley said Monday that the former state senator would not have time to schedule a second debate in Lawton over the next seven weeks. Asked if Mazzei or anyone else wanted to comment on the decision, Talley did not provide a statement.

That’s a shame, but I guess you can’t blame Mike for going with the old “we don’t have time” excuse.

I use that one all the time when trying to get out of something I don’t want to do!

Seriously, the last thing we’d want is for Mazzei’s campaign to be too honest and say something like, “We don’t have to participate in your fledgling debate because we’re currently winning, we already have the Trump endorsement, and – dear God – have you seen Mike speak?”

In all seriousness, why would Mike screw up everything he has going for him by getting on a debate stage against a trained lawyer?

Gentner Drummond is a polished attorney and skilled orator who’s trained in the art of verbal sparring, whereas Mike Mazzei has the public speaking skills of a drunk guy ordering a final round of shots before last call. Basically, as Kevin Stitt says, the guy’s a little “goofy.”

Plus, haven’t Republican voters suffered through enough gubernatorial debates already?

By now, they should have a pretty good idea where the candidates stand on the important issues. Well, that is unless one of them suddenly changed his mind and flip-flopped on something important after Trump told him to, like Mazzei did with that big, beautiful, desperately needed aluminum smelter.

Basically, nothing good can come from another debate for Mazzei.

If he shows up and performs well, he probably doesn’t gain much. If he shows up and gets boxed in by Drummond – or starts acting goofy again – it could actually hurt him.

Naturally, one person who thinks Mazzei’s move is weak sauce is Gentner Drummond.

His campaign manager had this to say about the move: 

Drummond’s campaign manager, Matt Parker, said his candidate would honor the commitment to participate in another debate. He criticized Mazzei’s decision by saying “leadership requires courage.”

“Mike Mazzei is trying to run a basement campaign straight out of Joe Biden’s playbook,” Parker said in a statement. “As voters begin paying attention and realizing there is something not quite right about Mike Mazzei, he is withdrawing from forums, avoiding public scrutiny, and hiding from the very people whose votes he’s asking for. If he can’t handle tough questions on the campaign trail, how can Oklahomans trust him to handle the challenges facing our state? Gentner Drummond will continue showing up, taking questions, and making his case directly to voters.”

That’s nice. If Gentner is able to pull an upset and knock off Mazzei, let’s remember how eager he was to debate when he inevitably declines to engage in one with Cyndi Munson.

Anyway, although Mazzei has declined this debate, I guess there’s still a chance he could participate in another debate with a different media outlet, civic group or forum.

You know, if something changes and the polls suddenly show he needs one.

Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.