Getting ready for the GOP gubernatorial debate in Hendersonville

Here's a column by Bill Moss, the editor at the Hendersonville newspaper, talking about this weeks gubernatorial debate in Hooterville. WLOSer Russ Bowen will be on the panel asking candidates questions:

We've been having fun fielding the public's questions for the gubernatorial debate on Wednesday at Blue Ridge Community College.

I don't know the whole history of political events in this part of the mountains but it's safe to say that this is as big an event as we've had in a while.

All four of the Republican candidates are committed to participate in the debate, which is at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Thomas Auditorium.

Robert Danos, the energetic young chairman of the Republican Party, and Republican Men's Club president Phil Stanley came to us with the idea of cosponsoring the debate about two months ago.

I said yes when they asked if I would moderate it. I'm not experienced with debate officiating exactly, but I figured if I can chaperone the Edneyville Boy Scouts, grade 3-4 Sunday school, the HHS marching band and the unruly Kiwanis Club, I could handle four men in charcoal suits hoping to impress an audience of likely Republican voters.

The candidates are state Sen. Fred Smith of Clayton, Charlotte mayor Patrick McCrory, Salisbury lawyer Bill Graham and former Supreme Court justice Bob Orr, who grew up in Hendersonville.

The media panel is made up of Times-News political reporter James Shea, Bill Fishburne of the Hendersonville Tribune, Larry Freeman of WHKP and Russ Bowen of WLOS-TV.