Merkley Triumphs Overwhelmingly in Debate Against Novick
The Governor hotel’s wireless was was buggy preventing me from live blogging the debate, but that didn’t prevent Jeff Merkley putting on a dynamic and commanding performance that left Novick scrambling to explain his caustic style and attacks against the character of prominent progressives.
From the moment the debate started, with Jeff Merkley rolling out the endorsement of Basic Rights Oregon, the most important LGBTQ civil rights group in the state, Merkley had the upper hand and Novick was on the defensive. There were no significant policy differences but the main thrust of the debate centered around which candidates style of leadership would best be suited for getting progressive results as a United States Senator.
That ground was extremely fruitful for Speaker Merkley. Novick came out swinging blindly, attacking Merkley for a poll testing messaging against Novick, but Novick was forced to admit that he had put a similar poll in the field just a few weeks earlier. Novick’s negativity immediately out of the gate, a style that he has employed throughout the campaign, would be prove to be a huge blunder as during the question and answer section Novick was on the defensive trying to explain attacks on progressives. Novick was asked whether he stood by his his smear that Senator Obama was just a “captive-of-special-interests fraud who doesn’t really care about global warming and doesn’t deserve to be hailed as some great Kenya-Kansas hope?” Novick fumbled his response, claiming that it was an issue based criticism. When asked to defend insulting Hillary Clinton calling her a traitress and a coward, he said that his comments were undiplomatic but stood by them. Merkley followed by saying “I keep trying to see you going up to President Obama, I’m sorry I called you a fraud but could you help me get county payments passed? Or President Clinton, I’m sorry I called you a traitress and a coward but could you help me expand the Mount Hood Wilderness area?.” It was an absolutely devastating line of questioning.
It only got worse for Novick when Merkley pulled the humor club out of his bag asking Novick about his anti U2 singer and activist Bono remarks. Merkley’s question earned big laughs and Novick took the bait hook line and sinker, viciously attacking the antipoverty and anti AIDS activist, saying that he would vote for Smith over Bono. If the other questions didn’t fully convince viewers about Novick’s attack first mentality, Novick’s inability to laugh this off or even responded amicably to this question should put the nail in the coffin.
Merkley presented plenty of contrast citing example after example of how he had worked with legislators to focus on results rather than insults. Merkley talked about his ability to forge coalitions to get things done and how important relationships are in a legislative body like the United States Senate. Merkley was able to connect his type of politics with the great historical shift that we are currently experiencing right now the new politics of Senator Obama that have inspired thousands of Oregonians to register to vote and get involved in politics.
Merkley overwhelmingly won in front of one of the most influential audiences of the state, the Portland City Club. The debate will get more exposure than just the opinion leaders of the City Club, as the debate will be aired all over the state on Oregon Public Broadcasting. Merkley was able to successfully indict Novick’s caustic and nasty style of politics while staying above the fray. Merkley, in front of the biggest audience of the campaign, carried the day as the only candidate to persuasively make his case that he has the experience and the temperament to be a dynamic and successful United States Senator.
UPDATE: City Club posted the audio listen and decide for yourself!
21 comments April 4, 2008
bdunn
atleastimhonest
