In a feisty hour-long debate, the candidates for US Senate from Massachusetts wrangled tonight on issues including terrorism, taxes, healthcare, and abortion.
In the end, lots of heat, but little light, were generated. Particularly in a low-turnout special election, there are very few undecided votes still to be won. Few, if any, minds changed tonight.
Scott Brown and Martha Coakley each criticized the other while defending themselves. Coakley, in particular, found herself often on the defensive and sounding like an Obama Administration spokesperson. For example, Coakley stated early on that health care reform would be “budget-neutral” before conceding, later on, that even the Congressional Budget Office says it would be at least ten years before that might be the case. In another exchange, Coakley supported Obama’s pledge of no new taxes on couples making less than $250,000. The problem with that is that Obama has already broken that pledge.
The only time Coakley split from Obama was over Afghanistan, going so far as to suggest that the US cannot succeed in that war. As Scott Brown was visibly agitated, moderator David Gergen hammered Coakley to make clear her views. This was the most uncomfortable moment of the debate.
It was not the only uncomfortable moment, however. Brown’s attempts to sidestep his past statements on climate change were just as awkward as Coakley’s efforts to sound supportive of the death penalty before conceding her opposition to it.
For her part, Coakley began the debate trying to tie Brown to the Bush-Cheney Administration. She eventually backed off of this effort once Brown said “You’re not running against them, you’re running against me.”
The best moments? There were a few. For Brown, he sounded statesman-like when he said “There’s plenty of blame to go around. I’m not going to be working on the mistakes of the past. I’m looking to address the mistakes of today.”
Brown struck a solid blow against Beltway-insider arrogance. When David Gergen referred to “Teddy Kennedy’s seat,” Brown shot back, “With all due respect, it’s not the Kennedy seat, and it’s not the Democrats’ seat, it’s the people’s seat.” This was the best moment of the debate, and I wanted to stand and cheer.
Coakley had her moments, too. In a self-deprecating moment she told Gergen, “I can be funny, believe it or not!” As if to prove that point, her other high point came when she offered faint praise of Brown, saying, “I think he understands what constitutional rights are about.” That was the funniest line in the whole debate. Well done, Madame Attorney General!
There was a third candidate in the debate, and Joseph Kennedy certainly held his own. While I'm not in agreement with his positions, I daresay he is the most articulate Kennedy to run for US Senate from Massachusetts during my lifetime. Kennedy seemed particularly well spoken when compared side-by-side with Brown, who was so eager to attack Coakley that he stumbled over his words and seemed less than fully articulate, and Coakley, who seemed not to believe her own strained defenses of her party’s credibility.
There is one week to go in the race, and it’s going to come down to who turns out their vote. It’s still a horserace, and tonight’s debate was fun, if not in the least bit decisive.
In the end, lots of heat, but little light, were generated. Particularly in a low-turnout special election, there are very few undecided votes still to be won. Few, if any, minds changed tonight.
Scott Brown and Martha Coakley each criticized the other while defending themselves. Coakley, in particular, found herself often on the defensive and sounding like an Obama Administration spokesperson. For example, Coakley stated early on that health care reform would be “budget-neutral” before conceding, later on, that even the Congressional Budget Office says it would be at least ten years before that might be the case. In another exchange, Coakley supported Obama’s pledge of no new taxes on couples making less than $250,000. The problem with that is that Obama has already broken that pledge.
The only time Coakley split from Obama was over Afghanistan, going so far as to suggest that the US cannot succeed in that war. As Scott Brown was visibly agitated, moderator David Gergen hammered Coakley to make clear her views. This was the most uncomfortable moment of the debate.
It was not the only uncomfortable moment, however. Brown’s attempts to sidestep his past statements on climate change were just as awkward as Coakley’s efforts to sound supportive of the death penalty before conceding her opposition to it.
For her part, Coakley began the debate trying to tie Brown to the Bush-Cheney Administration. She eventually backed off of this effort once Brown said “You’re not running against them, you’re running against me.”
The best moments? There were a few. For Brown, he sounded statesman-like when he said “There’s plenty of blame to go around. I’m not going to be working on the mistakes of the past. I’m looking to address the mistakes of today.”
Brown struck a solid blow against Beltway-insider arrogance. When David Gergen referred to “Teddy Kennedy’s seat,” Brown shot back, “With all due respect, it’s not the Kennedy seat, and it’s not the Democrats’ seat, it’s the people’s seat.” This was the best moment of the debate, and I wanted to stand and cheer.
Coakley had her moments, too. In a self-deprecating moment she told Gergen, “I can be funny, believe it or not!” As if to prove that point, her other high point came when she offered faint praise of Brown, saying, “I think he understands what constitutional rights are about.” That was the funniest line in the whole debate. Well done, Madame Attorney General!
There was a third candidate in the debate, and Joseph Kennedy certainly held his own. While I'm not in agreement with his positions, I daresay he is the most articulate Kennedy to run for US Senate from Massachusetts during my lifetime. Kennedy seemed particularly well spoken when compared side-by-side with Brown, who was so eager to attack Coakley that he stumbled over his words and seemed less than fully articulate, and Coakley, who seemed not to believe her own strained defenses of her party’s credibility.
There is one week to go in the race, and it’s going to come down to who turns out their vote. It’s still a horserace, and tonight’s debate was fun, if not in the least bit decisive.
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