With all due respect to the well-intentioned folks at the state
Republican Party, the Byzantine debate format they developed to show
case the five GOP candidates for governor was a flop. You don't need
20 pages of rules unless of course you want to minimize the dialogue
between candidates.
In one hour, we did not learn much about where they stand on the
issues.
Contrast that to the rapid fire grilling that Mike Bouchard recently
underwent on Michigan Public TV's Off the Record. (Personal bias
noted.)
In twenty minutes Michigan voters learned that Bouchard
(1) opposes the public smoking ban
(2) opposes slot machines at race tracks
(3) opposes a constitutional convention
(4) would not enforce parts of the new federal health care law
(5) favors an emergency manager to run the Detroit schools
On top of that the Oakland County Sheriff would not endorse a second
bridge between Detroit and Windsor owned and operated by the U.S. and
Canadian governments even with a hefty contribution of $550 million
from the folks across the Detroit River.
Nope. Bouchard was four square on the side of the guy who owns the
Ambassador Bridge whose supporters have kicked in some $20,000 to the
Bouchard for Governor effort according to the Free Press.
Bouchard dissed former Governors John Engler, Jim Blanchard, and
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson who favor the public span.
"They're wrong," he told the OTR panel.
And he took at a swipe at the current governor for being
'disingenuous" for fighting the private option.
Bouchard took the rapid fire questions with ease and noted that he
favors a format where there are no rules.
Are you listening state GOP big wigs?