The Sound of one hand clapping

(Editor’s note: Mark Scheer’s Gazette story on the sound of one hand clapping escaped the paywall to Yahoo. “One hand clapping” otherwise known as Nate McMurray debating himself because Becky Wydysh is trying to ascend to the state assembly by fiat, without ever engaging with her opponent or speaking to voters.)

GRAND ISLAND — What was supposed to be a two-person debate organized by Democratic state Assembly candidate Nate McMurray turned into what the moderator described as an "information session" on Thursday after McMurray's opponent, Republican Rebecca Wydysh, made good on her promise to pass.

McMurray, who is running against Wydysh in the 145th Assembly District, challenged Wydysh to debate him weeks ago and booked the Falconwood events center in Beaver Island State Park so the two could discuss the issues together.

Wydysh told the Gazette on Wednesday she would not be in attendance because McMurray's version of a debate wasn't really a debate but rather an event put together by his own campaign.

"There's no reason I would attend that," she said.

McMurray addressed an audience of about 30 people with a life-size cardboard likeness of Wydysh propped up near the podium where he did most of the talking. He opened with comments about Wydysh's absence, saying the former Niagara County Legislature chairwoman should have shown up to give voters a sense of what she stands for and what she's all about.

"That's how this is supposed to be," McMurray said. "America is about public debate. We believe in the marketplace of ideas. That's how we decide not only who is the best candidate but what ideas and policies are the best and if we don't have that public debate, it's wrong."

Gary Ogorek, the owner of a wealth management company in Erie County, posed questions to McMurray in Wydysh's absence. He later endorsed McMurray to replace outgoing 145th District Assemblyman Angelo Morinello, a Republican who is retiring from public office at the end of the year. Audience members were also invited to ask questions. Topics covered included public health care, partisan politics, plans for a $1.5 billion data center in Niagara Falls and what to do about the state of the City of Niagara Falls generally.

McMurray, who made two prior unsuccessful bids to secure a seat in Congress as an endorsed Democrat, said anyone who thinks he's a pure party guy hasn't been paying attention to his political career. He said he hasn't been shy about calling out Democrats for making decisions he opposes and that has included Gov. Kathy Hochul.

"There are a lot of things I agree with her on, but I would disagree with her on other things," McMurray said of Hochul.

"There's a lot of criticism of Kathy Hochul, but I don't get someone having a "Fire Hochul" sign and a Trump sign in the same yard," he added. "That is madness because the guy that runs the entire country is in charge of the tariffs that are killing Niagara County, and is in charge of the war that nobody wants that he says he's going to ramp up after the election. Are you hearing him say this? What does that mean? Does that mean a draft?"

McMurray said he does "lean Left" because he believes government should do more to serve working-class people. He said he also believes the bitter, deeply divided political ideologies of today's America are one of the biggest problems facing the country in recent years. He agreed with a resident in the crowd who suggested open primaries are needed for elections to encourage more people to run for public office.

"I think most of us are actually quite independent and I think the system is totally deranged," he said. "The whole process of getting on the ballot is designed so you can never get on the ballot. The signature process in New York state is crazy."