Jeff Ward: A Great Debate Right Here in Downtown Geneva

As you can so obviously glean from the adjoining picture, I’m old. Thus, a rollicking good night for someone of my advanced years generally includes a warm glass of milk and turning in at 7 p.m. On weekends, all bets are off. I have a near beer and stay up till 7:15.

There’s just no stopping this party animal!

So I’m not sure what possessed me last Wednesday night, but throwing caution directly into the northeast wind, I attended the Kane County Young Republican candidate debate place in the basement of the Urban Grille in downtown Geneva.

Despite that fact that I’ve become more than a bit jaded in regard to anything involving political process, I’m really glad I did.

First, it was great to see the place packed with more than just the regular party regulars. Considering the recent dismal voter turnouts, this might bode well for March 20.

Especially when you conside those insipid and persistent presidential debates, this one ran like clockwork—literally. Even I wouldn’t want to mess with Young Repblican Chairman Tim Stoll, who laid out the debate rules and then explicitly followed them.

The questions were cogent, the candidates had a specific time allotments to respond, and whenever they tried to extend it, Stoll politely but firmly redirected them. And then he subtracted any oratory overage from the next round.

But what really made the debate work is Stoll didn’t take his role as moderator too seriously which, when it comes to the GOP, is a long-lost art. On the rare occasion he made a mistake, his self-deprecating sense of humor kept the proceedings from descending into that too familiar politics-as-a-blood-sport phenomenon.

As a result, with a couple of exceptions we’ll cover later, the large crowd was respectful and generally refrained from any kind of cheerleading or heckling.

The festivities kicked off with two out of the three auditor candidates, Terry Hunt and Karl Regnier, engaging in a low-key but on-point discussion. Their biggest contention was who wasn’t an insider, but the truth is, neither one of ‘em are, and either one would do a fine job.

Then it was on to some spirited verbal sparring between the two coroner contenders, Rob Russell and Dr. Bob Tibali. Russell, a Dupage sheriff’s deputy, claimed the position required a “conservator of the peace” while Tibali argued coroners should have a medical degree.

Their debating styles also set them apart. While Russell was more polished and to the point, Dr. Bob’s sense of humor frequently had the house in hysterics and I was surprised how well his unorthodox approach worked.

Of course, the main event was a rousing dialectic between county chair candidates state Sen. Chris Lauzen and Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns. And this one was certainly worth the price of admission.

Another study in contrasts, both men described their unique vision for county government, both made some interesting points, and both explained why they were the right man for the job.

Ah! But no evening involving Kane County Republicans could possibly come off without at least a little drama.

After Batavia Township Republican Chairman Ellen Nottke and St. Charles Township Republican Chairman Ken Shepro showed up fashionably late, the glimmer twins (as I affectionately call them) started heckling Lauzen from the back of the room.

Because I could only hear their voices from in the front row, after the event I asked 16th District County Board candidate Robert Sauceda, who was standing next to them, exactly what the twins were saying.

“‘What are you running for,’ ‘You’re completely wrong,’ and ‘Get your facts straight,” Sauceda responded, “I wanted to stand up and ask Chairman Stoll to ask the leadership in the back of the room to respect both candidates, but I didn’t want to disrupt the proceedings any further.”

To top it off, when County Board member Melissa Taylor objected to Nottke—an ardent Lauzen critic—taking one of his packets, Nottke looked at her and said, “Stop drinking the F-bomb Kool-Aid.”

“It’s an embarrassment to the Kane County Republican Party,” Sauceda told me. It most certainly is.

In a somewhat anti-climax, when auditor candidate and debate no-show Laura Wallet actually appeared to work the crowd after the event, she became agitated when Stoll asked her to leave.

Ignoring his polite explanation that you can’t choose not to participate and then reap the benefits of participating, Stoll asked Wallet to leave at least four times before she finally just stood at the top of the stairs.

I have to say, I’m becoming one of Tim Stoll’s biggest fans. Whenever he decides to run for office, and I’m sure he will, he’s got my vote.

Despite having to stay up well past my bedtime, the evening was well worthwhile. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a KCYR debate, don't hesitate! You’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t.