Thursday, October 07, 2010

Culver-Branstad 2nd Debate

Debate Deux: It's 6:30pm. I'm sure you're pacing around the room waiting for the much-anticipated rematch tonight between Chet Culver and Terry Branstad. It's not like the Twins-Yankees, Nebraska-Kansas State and what's left of "Must See TV" is on tonight, right?

For the dedicated, it is the second gubernatorial debate, this time at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Here's what we know:

Culver's campaign tells me he will come after Branstad for failing to offer a plan on helping Cedar Rapids recover from the record floods of 2008. The campaign said CC will also hit TB on what it calls "broken promises".

Branstad's campaign offered a few more specific targets tonight. TB plans on talking about his plans for job creation (although, the campaign said we shouldn't expect new jobs ideas from TB). TB plans to come after CC if he fails to answer questions from the moderators like CC did in the first debate (CC used his time instead to attack TB). The campaign is also talking up CC's skills as a debater.

Here are my questions:

Will CC use the same strategy and avoid answering questions and use all his time ripping on TB? Will voters tolerate that for a second straight debate?

Will TB offer any more specifics about his plan to create 200,000 jobs and to trim 15% from the state budget?

Will CC lay out a vision for his second term or concentrate his time on calling TB a "liar, dishonest, etc."?

Will TB visibly show that he is annoyed again with CC's performance/attacks, etc.?

Who will look like he is the best person to lead the state's recovery efforts?

Let me know what you thought? Who scored points? Who won? Will this debate make any difference?

No comments: