Michigan Senate Depate - 10/17/06
Mike Bouchard seems to only be able to respond to the arguments Sen. Stabenow makes. His repeated platform is on the need for result, but he does not provide many practical steps for reaching such results. It is in her advantage to be able to refer to the way she has voted in the past. Bouchard seems to have to resort to mudslinging more in order to defend his platform.
I thought it was interesting when one of the questioners brought the mud-slinging issue to the forefront. Stabenow did a great job of showing her commitment and a mutual attribute of he opponent. Bouchard was much less effective.
Bouchard seems to keep dodging the questions in order to rehearse a brief speech in which he continues to repeat. Bouchard develops better arguments and more powerfully controls her rhetoric. However, I think one of Bouchard's best assertions is that Stabenow is ranked 95th out of 99 Senators because "she is not effective". In my opinion Sen. Stabenow focuses more on policy and plans for the future; as a result I think she won the debate.
