2003-09-04 - 5:52 p.m.

Entry 2: Governor's Debate

Since I know I won't have time for this later (I sense drama and lack of sleep approaching ... I'm sure my horrorscope says so), I figured I'd add that I do believe that I watched the first real political debate in my lifetime.

Last night the California Governor's recall race had a debate in Walnut Creek, California that was televised nationally on C-SPAN and most California ABC channels. Huffington and Camejo both impressed me, but this only makes my decision of whom to vote in favour of all the more difficult. I liked them both.

Though I disagree with most everything McClintock stands for, I actually respect the man much more than Bustamante. Cruz Bustamante came across as a fat lying bastard who will say whatever needs to be said to get elected. Huffington attacked him for breaking campaign finance limits by creating new "individuals" (technically organizations) for people to give him money and then using that money for his campaign. This is a big time no no, but he is doing it.

But the important point of last night's debate is it was the first debate where there was an extreme right wing, an extreme left wing, and a middle ground centrist who stood for nothing whatsoever. Americans have never really had serious political candidates for governor in such a large state say, "I'm opposed to capital punishment." or "I'm appalled that prison guards are paid more than teachers!"

-=-

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