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

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.

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.

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.