Fight Night (The Debates): C-SPAN: CO GOV LIVE, HI GOV, IL GOV, NH SEN + AK SEN

[Eraserhead]

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101013/NEWS/101013029/Stage-set-for-Coons-O-Donnell-debate

I feel, that as a forum, we should watch this.

[Keystone Phil]

Oh, it's on CNN? Wow.

As I mentioned in another thread, they're making it out to be sort of a big deal around here. I honestly don't expect any fireworks but I sure hope I'm wrong.

[cinyc]

But will it get higher ratings than Parker/Spitzer?  The odds are good.

[Smash255]

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101013/NEWS/101013029/Stage-set-for-Coons-O-Donnell-debate

I feel, that as a forum, we should watch this.

Agreed, its a homework assignment.

[Eraserhead]

Nothing too interesting so far. O'Donnell is so right-wing though. Horrible candidate for Delaware.

[tmthforu94]

I think Coons is a better candidate for the people of Delaware (Castle was the best) and he had an excellent chance of showing that tonight. However, I've been extremely unimpressed by him. He's been quite rude and condescending to O'Donnell, and is treating her like a child. And as much as the liberals on here might say she acts like a child, she isn't. She's an adult, and should be treated like one.

I think O'Donnell made a very good point on the Marxist comment, even after Coons said it was "just a joke". If anything, this debate should get the conservatives who were wary of O'Donnell to come home for her. However, it won't be nearly enough to close this gap.

It also doesn't hurt Coons that the moderators aren't big O'Donnell fans...

[Thomas D]

Who knew illegal immigration was such a hot topic in Delaware?

[Oakvale]

I could only glance at it for a few minutes, O' Donnell's voice just grates on me.

EDIT: On a vaguely related note, does it annoy anyone else when politicians say "my opponent"? It's a little childish.

[Eraserhead]

The debate was cut off by the miner rescue in Chile. No big loss honestly.

[xavier110]

The only good part was when O'Donnell started floundering with the evolution question.

[Smash255]

The only good part was when O'Donnell started floundering with the evolution question.

The rape and incest abortion thing I don't think will go over well in Delaware either.

[cinyc]

The only good part was when O'Donnell started floundering with the evolution question.

The rape and incest abortion thing I don't think will go over well in Delaware either.

She answered the evolution question just fine by stating that her personal views are irrelevant - What I said now and said then is that is should be up to the local school boards to decide what to teach, not dictated from up above.

Anyway, it's the economy, stupid.  Most voters don't care about evolution or abortion or other social issues this cycle.  Conservatives who care would have voted for her regardless.  Liberals who disagree wouldn't be voting for her regardless.

O'Donnell wasn't the best, but blew far past the low expectations Democrats inexplicably set for her.  To me, Coons came across as an arrogant, condescending prick.  And the moderators were largely on Coons' side.

[tpfkaw]

EDIT: On a vaguely related note, does it annoy anyone else when politicians say "my opponent"? It's a little childish.

Not really.  It grates on me more when they act overly familiar to each other, since it's clear they generally hate each others' guts.

[Smash255]

The only good part was when O'Donnell started floundering with the evolution question.

The rape and incest abortion thing I don't think will go over well in Delaware either.

She answered the evolution question just fine by stating that her personal views are irrelevant - What I said now and said then is that is should be up to the local school boards to decide what to teach, not dictated from up above.

Anyway, it's the economy, stupid.  Most voters don't care about evolution or abortion or other social issues this cycle.  Conservatives who care would have voted for her regardless.  Liberals who disagree wouldn't be voting for her regardless.

O'Donnell wasn't the best, but blew far past the low expectations Democrats inexplicably set for her.  To me, Coons came across as an arrogant, condescending prick.  And the moderators were largely on Coons' side.

She gave a horrible answer to the Evolution question.  The fact she thinks its ok for schools to teach Creationism along with Evolution is just absurd.  This is Delaware, now Texas, that crap won't fly.

[cinyc]

She gave a horrible answer to the Evolution question.  The fact she thinks its ok for schools to teach Creationism along with Evolution is just absurd.  This is Delaware, now Texas, that crap won't fly.

Very few voters care about evolution in most election cycles.  Nobody really cares this cycle, when the economy is front-and-center.  It's a non-issue.

And Sussex County, Delaware is a lot like Texas, in some ways.

[Smash255]

She gave a horrible answer to the Evolution question.  The fact she thinks its ok for schools to teach Creationism along with Evolution is just absurd.  This is Delaware, now Texas, that crap won't fly.

Very few voters care about evolution in most election cycles.  Nobody really cares this cycle, when the economy is front-and-center.  It's a non-issue.

And Sussex County, Delaware is a lot like Texas, in some ways.

The economy is most important, but voters don't want kooks either..  Believing Evolution is a myth and schools should be able to teach Creationism along with Evolution as equally valid is a kooky position to have.  Sussex County might be like Texas, but its 21% of the state.

[Capitan Zapp Brannigan]

She gave a horrible answer to the Evolution question.  The fact she thinks its ok for schools to teach Creationism along with Evolution is just absurd.  This is Delaware, now Texas, that crap won't fly.

Very few voters care about evolution in most election cycles.  Nobody really cares this cycle, when the economy is front-and-center.  It's a non-issue.

And Sussex County, Delaware is a lot like Texas, in some ways.

Delaware voters just aren't going to vote a creationist into office. It's never going to happen, even in this cycle.

And Sussex County voters aren't the ones she needs to convince.

[Eraserhead]

The only good part was when O'Donnell started floundering with the evolution question.

The rape and incest abortion thing I don't think will go over well in Delaware either.

She answered the evolution question just fine by stating that her personal views are irrelevant - What I said now and said then is that is should be up to the local school boards to decide what to teach, not dictated from up above.

Anyway, it's the economy, stupid.  Most voters don't care about evolution or abortion or other social issues this cycle.  Conservatives who care would have voted for her regardless.  Liberals who disagree wouldn't be voting for her regardless.

O'Donnell wasn't the best, but blew far past the low expectations Democrats inexplicably set for her.  To me, Coons came across as an arrogant, condescending prick.  And the moderators were largely on Coons' side.

Do any Democrats not come off that way to you?

[ej2mm15]

O'Donnell is crazy; I love being marxist.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Who knew illegal immigration was such a hot topic in Delaware?

I wouldn't be surprised if it is. You have migrant workers on farms and a large center of immigration in a wide band around the DC metro area. How much of that is illegal immigration, I don't know - but people get suspicious.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Who knew illegal immigration was such a hot topic in Delaware?

There's a small but significant Hispanic presence in Sussex County, mostly due to chicken processing.

[cinyc]

Do you any Democrats not come off that way to you?

Off the top of my head, just from our local area politicians, Gillibrand doesn't.  Lieberman doesn't.  Paterson doesn't.   Senator Moynihan never did.  I don't see the NJ Senators enough to really form an opinion, but Corey Booker usually doesn't come across as an arrogant prick, either.  None of them are Chuck Schumer.  

Coons just came across as arrogant in the debate, continually claiming that there was no way he could respond to all of O'Donnell's points and talking down to her.  Saying that once would be one thing, but repeating the same canned crap after practically every one of her responses just became grating.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I don't know why Coons is putting out the culture war stuff about abortion and evolution. Most people are sick of it. People know O'Donnell's a bit out there, and people who are liberal on culture war issues are not going to vote for her anyway. All he does is risk losing votes from people who disagree with him on these things but doubt whether O'Donnell is qualified.

[cinyc]

The economy is most important, but voters don't want kooks either..  Believing Evolution is a myth and schools should be able to teach Creationism along with Evolution as equally valid is a kooky position to have.  Sussex County might be like Texas, but its 21% of the state.

Believing that local school boards should decide curriculum is hardly a controversial position.  Moreover, you are greatly overestimating the percentage of Americans who care about a politician's views on evolution - and what Americans actually think about evolution, for that matter.  Americans who believe the conventional scientific view of evolution due to natural processes are actually in the MINORITY - 32%, per Pew in 2009.  22% believe in evolution guided by a supreme being - more or less intelligent design.  And 31% believe humans existed in their present form since the beginning of time - more or less creationism.  

[Eraserhead]

Do any Democrats not come off that way to you?

Off the top of my head, just from our local area politicians, Gillibrand doesn't.  Lieberman doesn't.  Paterson doesn't.   Senator Moynihan never did.  I don't see the NJ Senators enough to really form an opinion, but Corey Booker usually doesn't come across as an arrogant prick, either.  None of them are Chuck Schumer.  

Coons just came across as arrogant in the debate, continually claiming that there was no way he could respond to all of O'Donnell's points and talking down to her.  Saying that once would be one thing, but repeating the same canned crap after practically every one of her responses just became grating.

How did I know Lieberman would be mentioned... ugh.