If things stay the way they are right now, there will probably not be a GOP Gubernatorial debate in 2018. In February, Gov. Kay Ivey said she would be open to a debate, but in April it appears that a debate won’t happen. This isn’t new, in 2014, then-Governor Robert Bentley’s Democrat opponent accused Bentley of “ducking debates”. To drive this point home, Griffith brought an inflatable duck with him on the campaign trail. The ridiculousness of this publicity stunt was only topped by the Montgomery Advertiser’s ridiculous story:

Why this matters: This is nothing new, Bentley didn’t want to debate his general election opponent in 2014 because he had no need to. Like Ivey, Bentley was crushing Griffith. Also like Ivey, Bentley knew there was little to gain by boosting the campaigns of her political opponents when she knows they are floundering. This may not be the right thing to do, Alabamians deserve to hear these candidates out, but it is smart politics on the part of the Governor to sit this out.

The details:

— Not debating in 2014 did not hurt Gov. Bentley, he trounced Griffith 63.9 to 36.1 on election day.

— Multiple media outlets, not including Yellowhammer News, have scheduled a debate for April 18th.

— Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, evangelist Scott Dawson and Alabama Sen. Bill Hightower of Mobile, have all agreed to take part in the April 18th event but Gov. Ivey has stated she has an engagement in Mobile that day.

— Internal polling places the Governor at above 50 percent in the GOP primary with her opponents wallowing in the teens and single-digits.

@TheDaleJackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a conservative talk show from 7-11 AM weekdays on WVNN in Huntsville.