Cooper
Senior Member
And forgive me for saying so, but Goldkind has little no public profile beyond #TOpoli and the hyper-aware types here. Calling him a "fringe" candidate may be unfair, but he is most certainly a minor candidate with no political experience. Sure, he's a good speaker and has absolutely nothing to lose in debates, but there's intrinsic reason why he should be in debates. His platform is pretty decent. But being mayor is about more than being good in debates and preparing a wish list of progressive policy.
I see this from the other side of the coin. Why shouldn't a credible candidate with a solid platform have the same opportunities as well-funded candidates? One of my great hopes going into the election was that some new faces would emerge. David Soknaki and Ari Goldkind managed get noticed amid the chaos, and they are both worth hearing. (Sarah Thompson, not so much). If debate organizers want to invite them events, they should do so. They're doing *us* a service. If another candidate has a problem with that, tough luck. They can stay home or go door knocking as they see fit.