Thursday, September 04, 2003
HOW STUPID WAS IT, ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10?
Actually the first debate was really entertaining. For the first time in years, we got a real debate with real differences between real candidates, not a brain-curdling, eyelid-weighting, mush-mouthed rush of two similar idiots hastening to agree with the other before splitting fine hairs of irrelevance.
The presence of five spectrum-spanning candidates and Arnie's absence actually meant that the candidates had to focus on real issues. So ideology won the day, and everyone got theirs.
Handicapping the event?
Cruz Bustamante, the front-runner among these folks, looked so damn confused by actually having to speak plainly (still recovering from the N-word episode, hmm?) he came off as completely idiotic. At least twice he answered the wrong question, and in his closing, he forgot his main point. Arianna exploited Cruz just short of intellectual bullying. If there was any doubt Bustamante is an intellectual lightweight, last night got rid of that for all time. On a stupid scale of 1 to 10, he scored a 9. Watch him give up points in the next poll.
Peter Ueberroth answered one question the whole night. The answer is "jobs". This is the guy everyone entrusted to Rebuild LA? No wonder he doesn't bring that multi-million farce up anymore. Stupid scale: 8. He's done.
Tom McClintock, the far-right Reep, came off as a smart conservative by default. He made no attempt to disguise his right-wing ideology (actually he never has), so all the Dems who he says voted for him in the last election can be clear. He proudly declared himself pro-guns, anti-women and anti-immigrant--a pretty shitty combo, huh? However, I could hear the cheers at the John Birch Society get-together. He hurt Arnie a lot last night. Stupid scale: 2. He really jumps into double digits in the next polls. Watch Arnie move right, declare himself pro-54 in the next debate.
Peter Camejo, the angry Green, started slow, then blossomed into the most focused and the sharpest I've ever seen him. Smart, on-point, on-message, passionate. His points regarding Cali's fucked up tax system especially put even McClintock on the defensive. They played well in Walnut Creek, will they work anywhere else? Who cares. For anyone vaguely left of Richard Riordan, Camejo looked like the moral center of the debate last night. Stupid scale: 1.
Arianna Huffington, the self-declared independent, drew blood early and often with her witticisms. On McClintock's support of regressive taxes: 'How stupid is that on a scale of 1 to 10'? On Cruz and the Indian tribes: 'That's legalized bribery'. On Cruz: 'Don't be the Ralph Nader of 2003 and take away votes from an independent candidate for governor. Me!' She single-handedly made the debate last night, and proved why her entry into the race was so important. Sitting next to Bustamante, she mercilessly picked on him all night, keeping the proceedings both humorous and intellectually sharp. She only faltered when asked how she would overturn Prop 13. But details are for wonks, the public wants positions. (Which by the way is also why Gray Davis didn't help his case in the first half hour, but more on that later.) In these formats, she shines because she's clearly the valedictorian--plus the clown--of the class. Especially in the Bay, she took votes from Bustamante last night. Stupid scale: 0. She won the debate.
The most interesting thing about last night's proceedings is how they may have subtly shaped the public's perceptions of the recall. Davis was granted a half hour at the beginning of the night to state his case against the recall. Pundits this morning noted that he was finally taking responsibility and speaking in specifics, but from where I sit, he only hurt his case. When he turned Clinton-wonkish on the car tax, he really lost folks. This has always been Davis' problem--he speaks from the head, not the heart. Folks were just reminded of his inability to connect with "average" voters--indeed, he even looked patronizing in taking on their tough questions last night. Even worse, he was accorded only 1/4 of the time last night, Bustamante refused to stay on the "No Recall" message, and the Huffington-inspired fizziness of the candidate panel seemed like a very welcome alternative to the still-alienating New Old Gray.
So onward to Sept. 24. Bring Arnie on!
Coverage of the first debate:
SF Chronicle
LA Times
posted by Zentronix @ 10:39 AM
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