Posted on 08/15/2006 7:51:55 AM PDT by SmithL
ANY POLITICAL consultant will tell you there is little reason for an incumbent to debate a challenger. In a live forum, there is the remote chance an incumbent will say something that backfires, which is why some politicians won't debate unless they are in a competitive race and fear losing office. In 2004, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, beat GOP challenger George Bruno with 72 percent of the vote to Bruno's 24 percent -- so you have to credit Stark for appearing at a League of Women Voters debate at Fremont's Comcast studios Thursday.
I showed up to see if Stark's infamous big mouth would run wild during the debate, which Comcast plans to air some time after Labor Day.
Allow me to report that viewers who tune into the debate will not see Stark unhinged. They will not see the congressman who in 1995 called moderate GOP Rep. Nancy Johnson of Connecticut "a whore for the insurance industry."
Viewers will not see the congressman who in 1990 called Health and Human Services Director Louis Sullivan, who is black, a "disgrace to his race." They also will not see the congressman who incorrectly asserted that the children of another African American, then GOP Rep. J.C. Watts, were all "born out of wedlock."
Viewers also will not see that model of decorum, who during a 2003 Ways and Means Committee debate, denounced the committee chairman as a "fascist" and called a fellow lawmaker "a fruitcake" as he challenged him to a fight.
They also won't see the man who greeted the news about the death of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi by telling the Washington Times it was a stunt "to cover Bush's (rear) so he doesn't have to answer" for Iraqi civilians being killed.
I saw a civil exchange between two men
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Just on small quibble
>>ANY POLITICAL consultant will tell you there is little reason for an incumbent to debate a challenger.
There is little reason for a favourite to debate an underdog. This is not always the same thing. Just usually.
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