It Was Ugly at Morgan State Last Night [Ehrlich/Kennedy Townsend Debate]

WBAL radio ^ | September 27, 2002 | Ron Smith

[Lil'freeper]

Baltimore's NEWS - TALK- SPORTS Station

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It Was Ugly at Morgan State Last Night
September 27, 2002    Ron Smith's Something to Say

(September 27, 2002)

Well, what a rude, contemptuous, ugly reception Bob Ehrlich got at Morgan State last night when he showed up to debate Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. (They even booed his wife and parents as they were led to their seats). This gubernatorial debate was so stacked in favor of the Democrat as to be ludicrous—even for the State of Maryland.

Not only was the audience aggressively hostile to the Republican congressman, the questioners on the panel were all from organizations that are predictably “progressive,” i.e., reflexively Democrat in their sympathies. Of course, this is the only way the lieutenant governor was going to agree to debate her opponent, at a forum controlled by her supporters, sponsored by the ostensibly non-partisan NAACP, which is in reality a political extension of the Democratic National Committee.

So now everyone wants to chime in on who “won.” My e-mail correspondents lean toward the theory that it’s more about who “lost.” And they think it’s the voters of Maryland who were the losers after last night’s stinkeroo verbal slugfest. They’re losers because what the occasion was all about was RACE, RACE, and RACE.

From the opening hostile booing to the bullying tactics of Mrs. Townsend, it was all a setup, designed to embarrass the white, conservative guy while allowing KKT to pose herself as the steadfast champion of black welfare. Ehrlich handled himself well, but must have felt in dire need of a shower after being subjected to all that crap.

If exceeding low expectations is what matters, the Democrat was the clear winner. She proved she could lead an angry mob and hurl invectives with the best of them. If keeping one’s cool under stress is the object, Ehrlich proved his mettle in that regard.

Few people saw the debate live, scheduled as it was in the midst of network TV premiere week programming. Who watches Comcast 8? Political debates are annoying even when conducted in a more civilized manner. They are, after all, about promising a bunch of Pauls that you and your party will give them the most from the looting of Peter. Politics is an auction. Politicians make lots of promises. Some they even keep. Most are tawdry to begin with.

If there is another clash between these two, suggests one listener, maybe it should be at the Associated Gun Clubs facility so the candidates could enjoy another evenly balanced crowd.

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[tet68]

She is a riot!
She needs her own sit com.
"No wing" the further adventures of Murrymom and the Purloined Presidential Race.

[Verginius Rufus]

Peter Lawford, 1923-1984 (according to The World Almanac)

[Lil'freeper]

Were I Protestant, I'd take offense at her attempt to mimic a revival preacher. Near the end she was a'bellowing about her faith in MD. "Ah Buh-leeeeeve in the people of Maryland hubbubllulula.... Ah Buh-leeeve that the economy will turn around hubbbubblullla.... Ah Buh-leeeve!!" Fortunately, she has no rhythm so she stumbled and looked like the idiot she really is. But she did try!

To Ehrlich's credit, he did point out that there exists a diversity of ideas in this state, that he rejects the idea that all people of a certain pigmentation must have the same ideology, and that thinking people should be offended that the Democrats take them for granted.

[Lancey Howard]

Actually, give her some credit - she lives in a tiny town called Murrysville,

Thanks for that. For years I have been bothered by her spelling so I'm glad you set me straight on that. Funny that I never heard of the place, me being a Penn Stater and all. I had roommates from Frackville, Shenendoha, Sunbury, Butler, York, Milton, Tamaqua, Potter County, and a whole lot of other places around the state, but I never heard of Murrysville. I still think "SillyMom" would be a more appropriate name for our liberal gadfly.

[aculeus]

Fallen down the twelve steps have we?

Friday nights can be sooo difficult.

[Travis McGee]

MD Bump.

[nunya bidness]

Bud, we might just break that 33 year losing streak yet.

I listened to talk radio all day. Conservative, black and everything in between.

There were more callers saying they were unconvinced because of the debate. And in my book that's as good as a win.

But the more glaring omission is not one poll that I've been able to find. You'd think that if she had any good numbers they would be out.

[catonsville]

KKT's amazing quote duriNg the debate.


"You are against affirmative action because it shouldn't Be about race. Well, lynching was about race, prejudice is about race, AFFIRMATVE ACTION WILL BE ABOUT RACE."

it could just sink her campaign.

[Abundy]

The reason that Erhlich will lose is that our Gov.'s office is damn near dictatorial in it's power. The Dem's can't afford to let him in and the voter fraud will be much, much worse than the first Glendenning-Sauerbrey (spelling?) election.

I keep hoping Erhlich can pull it out, but after this debate fiasco I have realized that it isn't a fair fight.

[HoosierFather]

I agree. It may have been a strategic blunder for Ehrlich to agree to KKT's conditions for debate. Unfortunately, not many people saw the debate, which would have sparked sympathy for him. And, the MD voters are only hearing the liberal press spin of the debate praising KKT. This disaster may be the turning point in the race? Time will tell.

[maica]

Maryland voters who listen to Baltimore's talk radio stations are getting an earful, with soundbites of the debaters, of reaction to the 'debate.'

Congressman Ehrlich is on the air - WBAL - right now and KKT has agreed to come on to the same show - Bruce Elliot - at 10:30 this morning.

My hope is that a small fraction of the Marylanders who do not usually vote will be motivated to get out to the polls this November.

[Verginius Rufus]

Tony Snow showed some clips from the debate on the Friday evening Fox program where he substitutes for Brit Hume. KKT's remarks, delivered in an angry, hectoring voice, went something like:

"Slavery was based on race, Jim Crow was based on race, lynching was based on race, and affirmative action should be based on race."

Bravely delivered, of course, in a debate sponsored by the NAACP on a predominantly black campus...by implication anyone who doesn't agree with racial preferences sees nothing wrong with slavery or segeregation or lynchings.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is a seriously unpleasant woman. This may have gone over well with the targeted audience, but is the proportion of fanatically partisan Democrats in Maryland high enough that the voters will choose to have this sort of person as their governor for four years?

[Travis McGee]

I'm sure this election will be just as free and fair as Zimbabwe's.

[Freee-dame]

and KKT has agreed to come on to the same show - Bruce Elliot - at 10:30 this morning.

She was asked if a poor white blue collar worker with children should have to pay for the education of the child of a black physician. Essentially, she said yes. Unfortunately, she was allowed to give a "no-breaths" sound bite speech.

[Travis McGee]

Welcome to Zimbabwe USA.

[maica]

After a little chaos, zings and arrows fly
If you could find it, debate full of barbs

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By David Folkenflik
Sun Television Writer
Originally published September 27, 2002


Kathleen Kennedy Townsend came to prove that she has command of both the minutiae of policy and the basics of the English language.

Robert L. Ehrlich sought to emerge as Daniel venturing into the lion's den - a Republican at a historically black campus at a forum sponsored by the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP.

At the outset of last night's forum for the two major candidates for governor of Maryland, however, the question, at least briefly, was this: Would Ehrlich get a word out?

As the forum began at Morgan State University last night, partisans in the crowd alternately cheered Ehrlich, the Republican congressman from Baltimore County, and Townsend, the state's Democratic lieutenant governor. The two stood at lecterns at either side of the stage, separated by a long table with five questioners. Moderator Neil Duke, the first vice president of the local chapter of the NAACP, attempted to set a dignified tone.

Many members of the audience, though, hooted at Ehrlich's opening remarks, prompting Townsend to bound cheerfully to her opponent's defense. Then NAACP president and CEO Kweisi Mfume rushed up from his seat in the crowd to request silence.

What viewers out in Teeveeland made of all this hubbub is not entirely clear, nor was it immediately clear where to watch it happen. While cable provider Comcast broadcast the debate in the Baltimore region on CN8, its Philadelphia-based cable news station, it did not transmit the feed for many city residents until well into the proceedings. C-SPAN picked up the broadcast a few minutes in.

(While we're at it, why did Maryland Public Television, the state broadcaster, decide to air the re-run of an episode of Ken Burns' The Civil War instead of carrying the debate live? Did programmers out in Owings Mills really think Lee wouldn't surrender at Appomatox if the episode were delayed? The debate was replayed on MPT, WBAL-TV and WBFF later last night.)

------Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is a seriously unpleasant woman. This may have gone over well with the targeted audience, but is the proportion of fanatically partisan Democrats in Maryland high enough that the voters will choose to have this sort of person as their governor for four years? -------

This November I believe that a proportion of Marylanders (black and white) will be casting their first vote for a Republican in their life.
This is more than just another race - it is critical to send a message to all race hustlers that those days are over.

[Freee-dame]

Many members of the audience, though, hooted at Ehrlich's opening remarks, prompting Townsend to bound cheerfully to her opponent's defense.

What spin! "HOOTED should be BOOED with a rudeness never before seen at a televised debate between two major candidates. CHEERFULLY should be CONDESCENDINGLY (is that a word?). This was more like a DNC rally than a debate.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

Any political debate sponsored by the NAACP would be expected to be nasty and we were not disappointed.KKT is inept at best. But Kennedys seem to have teflon coating.

[7thson]

It would have been a major blunder had he said no. You know automatically that any debate sponsered by the NAACP will not be fair, but imagine the headlines had he said no. To me, the NAACP showed themselves to be bores and animals.

[CollegeRepublican]

Did you happen to catch the Lt. Witch on Bill Elliot on Saturday morning? It was classic.

Mrs. Kennedy, you have stated that you want funding for character education, but you also have not commented on the character of the governor. Who, as we all know, left his wife of numerous year, slept with a worker many years his junior, and then doubled her pay, married her, and had a child.

Silence from KKT, then an screeching outburst. "I will not answer questions like that!"

Character education from a Kennedy is like culinary lessons from Jeffery Dalhmer.