Friday, August 13, 2010
Arkansas Politics Lincoln versus Boozman: the non-debate
Posted by Gerard Matthews on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 10:39 AM
- Gerard Matthews
Organizers of the Association of Arkansas Counties convention went out of their way to keep from calling today's "forum" a debate. Sen. Blanche Lincoln and her challenger for the US Senate seat Rep. John Boozman took predetermined questions from county officials in the audience and, for the most part, pulled their political punches, remaining very cordial throughout. Insofar as any political salvos were launched, both candidates used their opening statements to criticize the other's position on Social Security and earmarks.
Aside from one question regarding the health care bill passed by Congress earlier this year, most of the questions focused on wonky, county-related, hyper-local issues, including emergency management funding, highways and collective bargaining for first responders and other municipal employees. Talking points abounded, with Boozman stating the tired old Republican lines about the evils of federal mandates (however, at one point Boozman said the federal government needed to help counties fund their voting operations) and Lincoln falling back on her campaign message of putting Arkansans before partisan politics. Winners? Losers? It's hard to say. Lincoln definitely has a way of relating to local officials and relied heavily on her record to let the audience know she'd be the best choice in November. While Boozman's responses were measured and on message, his lack of personality might leave some voters, especially those in search of a vibrant candidate, wanting.
Fore more info, check out a recap from Talk Business. Twitterers on hand were @dgoins from Fox 16, @ademillo and @robybrock. Of course, my tweets were the best and most informative. Follow them here.
Comments (16)
Showing 1-16 of 16
There were protesters from camps of John Gray and Trevor Drown in front of the building because Gray and Trevor were excluded from the debate. Did you see them? Why no mention of of the protest?
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>> Initial impressions after opening statements: Lincoln is her same ol' folksy self, Boozman might actually put me to sleep. about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck <<
Reminds me of DBI's post a many months ago..about taking a straight pin to a Boozman speech and poking yourself to stay awake. God that man can drone.
"Taxpayer funded ‘AAC’ unfairly shuts out U.S. Senate Candidates
By Caleb Kinley, Editor
“Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.” Republican Martin Luther King, Jr.
***Please note that I am not implying that Sen. Lincoln or Congressman Boozman has anything to do with the other two candidates not being invited to speak at the AAC forum/debate.***
The Association of Arkansas Counties (AAC) have decided to host a forum/debate in Hot Springs on August 13th at the Summit Arena Convention Center and invited incumbent Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln and Republican Congressman John Boozman. During the Arkansas Primary, Lincoln defeated Democrat Lt. Governor Bill Halter, and Boozman defeated seven other Republican candidates who were each vying for the chance to face Lincoln (or Halter) on November 2. However, the big story turns out to be that the AAC, a Arkansas taxpayer funded entity, gets to play “keep-away” with your tax dollars by refusing to invite the other two senate candidates to the debate. Independent Conservative Trevor Drown, a combat war veteran and former Green Beret who earned the Bronze Star for his bravery in combat action inside the hostile Helmand Province in Afghanistan, gets no say in the upcoming debate because he won’t have the opportunity to stand side by side with the parties in power. Unfortunately, John L. Gray , the current mayor of Greenland, AR and the Green Party nominee, will not get an equal chance at the Convention Center podium either."
http://arconservativenews.net/?p=1617
Pretty telling how the AR blog has three posts ignoring the real news of the day... democracy usurped again by both major parties (with all of our tax dollars) which is at least being covered in threads.
"Good German" comes to mind.
Trevor Drown and John Gray were both there. They had the honor to stand outside and laugh at this lesson in democracy applied by the good ole boys club.
Drown and Gray standing outside had the best seats in the house and no doubt added more honor, intelligence, and honesty to this Senate race than the 2 clones inside on the stage.
News broken at this debate 0
Honesty spoken at this debate 0
Attention paid to the speakers 0
Excitement shown for these 2 retreads 0
Honest representation for the people of Arkansas in the next 6 years 0
Commitment to serve Arkansas citizens in the future 0
Paid tools of the Fortune 500 present 2
Hope for a better country thanks to Johnny Blanche 0
This "debate" is the political equivalent of having a Raycom-televised Rice-Baylor SWC-era football game go on and on while a marquee game is delayed for nearly a quarter to be "joined in progress".
>>Pretty telling how the AR blog has three posts ignoring the real news<<
Sometimes, Max is just a committed to obscuring the whole news picture as Hussman.
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John Gray for U.S. Senate
I'll be at the Parrot Beach Cafe in North Little Rock, this evening, for the KABF Rent Party. I'm looking forward to meeting other supporters of this great part of Arkansas grassroots and community culture! KABF is a non profit radio station, providing a very wide range of programming, based on the needs and tastes of the community it... serves. Please come out and help support their efforts to continue providing that invaluable service! There will be lots of good food and music, and they're only asking for a small donation. I'll be there about 6:00, and I hope to meet some John Gray supporters there too!
John Gray for U.S. Senate I'll be there about 6:00, and I hope to meet some John Gray supporters there too!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/J…
The people of this state are still being held down "with a boot on the throat" by the good 'ole boy network and the media...
WHY are the players in this state scared to let the people hear what Trevor Drown and others have to say? I have voted for Boozman for years, but something is wrong with this crap....
As long as two political machines control every voice and every vote, we will never have true democracy. Arkansas deserves to hear from all candidates for U.S. Senate, not matter the party affiliation. The kicker about the County Association is that our tax dollars pay for these folks to go to convention...then why can't we hear from everyone? All four candidates should be included in all debates and forums....
Check out the youtube videos...more coming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liy2WTkqmZ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iCpWGGdSqo
Why did we have a debate with the " same old Washington crowd" . Looks like our TAX dollars are being wasted still. Mr. Drown and Mr. Gray should have been included in this tax-payer funded "forum". We need some fresh minds in Washington before we lose this great country!!
Since this was a "private meeting" of a professional organization (yes, I'm aware they are tax-payer funded), were they obligated to invite all contenders?
As I understand it, this was not a "public forum," "town meeting," or that sort of thing. Two players were invited to appear before the members and respond to questions.
Does an organization have the right to invite only the ones it wants to hear?
Just wondering.
Sky, I don't know about a "right" to invite who they want (the word "right" is thrown around too much), but they can legally do it, the same way the Washington candidates can legally spend our trillions of tax dollars as they have done for decades.
This reeks of misuse of tax-payer funds, and should stop.
You don't get anymore "good ol' boy" than the Association of Arkansas Counties. Most of their members are still more concerned about keeping Owkeehawl out of their dry counties than proposing a progressive agenda.
Johnny Blanche cannot debate itself. It must have been terribly boring watching it try. The observers would have been better served to take the "forum" outside into the heat and have a real conversation on the issues with the candidates left out of the forum, John Gray and Trevor Drown. They both obtained over 10,000 signatures each, which had to be certified in order to appear on the ballot in November. Still most people in Arkansas do not know that there are more than two candidates running for this U.S. Senate seat. For shame AAC, for shame!!
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