Opinion: Arizona can steer the 2024 election debate from mere spectacle to real substance. But we all bear some of that responsibility.
Sybil Francis opinion contributor
The Arizona Republic
Elections are months away, but now is a crucial time to set the tone of the debate and focus on issues important to Arizona.
We are off to the races!
One year out from the 2024 election, we are learning about who’s ahead and who’s behind. In this era of constant campaigning and the numbers game, it’s easy to lose track of reality and what really matters.
Can we set horse race numbers aside, even if briefly?
This is a crucial time for setting the tone of political debates and to bring into focus the issues that matter to Arizonans.
The power to steer the conversation from mere spectacle to substantive issues lies in our hands — we all bear some responsibility.
How to take election debates deeper
As voters, we need to learn how to sort through the noise, get over our cynicism, listen to what the candidates have to say and make our voices heard.
Candidates running for office in 2024 need to know that voters are tired of the division and partisanship and want to know where candidates stand on the issues most important to them.
The media bear a huge responsibility to help educate the public by making candidates accountable to voters. Too often, the media direct our attention to division and controversy, focusing on hot-button issues about which only a minority of voters care, while the important issues that matter to everyday Arizonans get short shrift.
This leaves many voters feeling that their voices are not heard and their votes don’t really matter.
The 2024 election presents an important opportunity to advance on all the above.
Most agree on education, immigration
