Help us hold virtual debates for governor, Senate races

We'll grill the candidates with your questions

With little more than six weeks until Election Day, there are currently no plans for televised debates in either the gubernatorial race between Gov. Rick Snyder and former Rep. Mark Schauer or the U.S. Senate race between former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and Rep. Gary Peters.

As often happens when candidates won't agree to debates, voters are left with a debate about debates. While the debate debate can be an amusing exercise for pundits and political junkies, we also know it does little to help citizens make an informed choice at the ballot box.

We'd like to do something a little different—a kind of virtual debate, powered by Michigan voters like you.

Think about what you'd like the candidates to talk about in a debate and then tweet us, using the #4debates hashtag, with policy questions for Snyder, Schauer, Land, or Peters.

We'll select the best questions, post them on ClickOnDetroit, and challenge the candidates to submit video replies (two minutes per answer, please) to your queries. As with regular debates, opponents will be invited to submit one-minute rebuttals.

Obviously this is an imperfect solution that lacks the spontaneity or drama of a live, televised debate. While a virtual debate may not be ideal, at least it forces all four statewide candidates to speak to—either with their words or with their silence—real issues affecting everyday Michigan voters in a public forum they don't control.

And if they actually get on stage together for actual moderated and televised live debates, so much the better.