Am I mistaken? RE: North Idaho College Trustee Join Chamber Debate Clip

I was sent this clip from the North Idaho College Trustee Candidates debate sponsored by the joint chambers of commerce.

Am I misinterpreting something? It seems like Zimmerman got the questions ahead of time. Please watch the video and comment with your opinion.

I asked all three candidates that did not attended the debate if they RSVP'd or just didn't respond. All three said they told the organizers ahead of time that they wouldn't be able to attend.
So why are the name cards up with empty chairs? That makes it look like the organizers were biased and wanted to be petty.

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