Platitudes and Latitudes: Montana's 4th Senate Debate
It has been my experience when working in multi-debate campaigns that it difficult to predict the texture and feel of any given debate. Just as with a professor going from class to class, knowing what will transpire is often folly.
Jon Tester and Conrad Burns meet in Helena Montana for their latest Senate debate just three days after a Monday showdown in Bozeman.
How different the debates! In an entry below on debatescoop.org I was critical of Senator Burns indicating for several reasons why he lost at MSU. Tonight's debate illustrates the variability of debate to debate.
The more intimate affair at the Helena Airport brought out a different Burns. He was relaxed, with humor, and more than any of the other encounters made a sturdy case for incumbency. He even found ways to make a reasoned case for "earmarks" with the airport venue being exhibit one. (Specific evidence will be provided when transcripts are available.)
: MT-Sen, Jon Tester, Conrad Burns
Tester, on the other hand, looked and acted tired, was retiring more often than not, and had difficulty in moving answers beyond, by this point in the debates, trite phrases. His novice status, not apparent in Bozeman, was the emergent theme. Again and again, Burn's talked about how government worked, while Tester talked about why his farm works. (Again evidence when the transcript is available.)
Part of the reason the debate produced a different winner was the panel of professional questioners. Jackie Yamanaka, Yellowstone Public Radio, Chuck Johnson and Mike Dennison, Lee Newspapers provided questions that went behind the headlines demanding more agility in answering and more content. They asked Burns questions he would want to avoid, but they also challenged Testor directly on the ideology of his voting record and lack of specifics in the campaign. Surprisingly, to me at least given the other debates, Burns fought back with particulars and Testor fumbled with uncertainty. (of course, with exceptions for both)
It will be interesting to read the media response. My prediction is that the state press will go neutral and the national media will see a continuation of the Testor advantage in the debates; the former in response to the debate, the latter in deference to the dominate narrative. I'll check tomorrow,test this premise, and report back.
