The Brown V DeWine Debate...

A quick look at what the media is reporting and then some comments...

Toledo Blade:

DeWine: 'I continue to act' Brown: You have 'no spine'


NBC24:

This was their third showdown. And once again, the two exchanged charges in a fiery give and take.

DeWine consistently painted brown as an ineffective and extremely partisan congressman.

Brown portrayed DeWine as beholden to the Bush administration.

Each claimed that the other had stooped to negative campaigning.

WTOL ll:

In Third Debate, DeWine and Brown Squabble Over Party Lines

TOLEDO (AP) -- Republican Sen. Mike DeWine said Thursday he's the only candidate in Ohio's Senate race willing to work with both parties. Democratic U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown said his opponent's record doesn't show it.

WTVG 13:

Polls show Brown is favored in race that was neck-and-neck in September

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Republican Sen. Mike DeWine said Thursday he's the only candidate in Ohio's Senate race willing to work with both parties. Democratic U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown said his opponent's record doesn't show it.

My thoughts, I thought this debate was less attack oriented than the Meet the Press appearance. This was the first debate that was infront of a live auidence. We were politely warned that we could applaud and express our vocal support for a candidate but that if anyone was "disruptive" they would be removed by security. One young lady near the front did yell out something and security closed in on the area in which she was sitting but apparently since it was just that one comment they did not ask her to leave.

Sherrod did at one point ask his supporters to stop applauding, "I ask my supporters not to cheer and those kinds of things, I don't want to be disrespectful to Mr. DeWine and I'd like to keep this debate going if possible". Mike made no similar request but to be honest it appeared there were more Sherrod Brown supporters there and since I was outside with many of them, it is an exuberant group.

I thought the questions were very good ones, such as one from Jim Tankersley to Mike DeWine, "You just said you are a Senator that makes things happen for Ohio, but the polls show a majority of Ohioans are upset about something else you made happen in Congress, the war in Iraq. How can you campaign on the parts of your record that most voters like and not take responsibility for what makes many voters angry?"

DeWine really didn't answer - he talked about why he did not support planned date of withdrawl for Iraq.

Roberta de Boer's question to Sherrod Brown on the impeachment of the President was I thought a very interesting one. Sherrod does not supporting impeachment or censoring.

I recommend watching the debate if you didn't see it last night, and even if you did? Watch it again, pay attention to what questions were asked and if they were answered.

:-)