Wednesday, August 08, 2007

live blogging from the forum

[UPDATE 10] JP Hughes just is reading statements. If you are an ultra marginal candidate, don't read, speak from your heart and say something shocking.

Man alive I need something to wake me up. It seems the candidates kind of phoned it in by not making it lively. I guess this was a wonk fest, but still.

[UPDATE 9] The end is near, I might as well stay. Ringing endorsement I know... I am having a tough time finding a "winner" Jenny started out akward, but has come on strong as time has gone by. Keith was pretty good in talking about buses in a common sense fashion. But when a question became vaguely ideological, he got pretty defensive. The other two guys, who cares.

[UPDATE 8] Wow I am starting to fade fast in this "debate" it is really getting bored. Fun fact, I am sitting near US Senate candidate Pete Ashdown, who uses Yahoo! and is subitting fun questions as well as others.

Oh and Jenny drops in again that she was Rep. Bill Orton's chief of staff...impressive.

[UPDATE 7] Jenny reveals that she went to DC to get money and get labor and EMILY's list endorsement. In fact, EMILY's list now has a staffer planted in her office. Keith is defensive about his warchest and went to NYC to get the developer side of the issue and sided with the skybridge. Sounds like money talks for Keith.

Next beef for Politic 2.0, don't have people respond to candidate specific questions unless it really calls for it.

[UPDATE 6] Keith wants to manage the city like it is his own enterprise...you mean your own feifdom? I guess he is trying to be the Michael Bloomberg of SLC. You know a rich guy who used to be of one party and switched for political convinence. By the way he is really not being bold AT ALL.

Renteria is getting mad about how screwed over the west side is. JP Hughes wants to end homelessness. An actual answer to our question, amazing.

[UPDATE 5] Jenny seems to be answering the question on both sides by saying what a possible counter argument is and then attacking it. I don't know why she needs to be debate herself when this is not really a debate.

Keith says the constitution does not grant consealed weapon. But he is not especially gun control friendly.

[UPDATE 4] Ralph gets a jab into Keith by saying it is so terrible how expensive it is to run for mayor while staring at him. Jenny gets a jab in at Ralph because she said "I actually passed a gift ban" since Ralph could not as the Minority Leader in the state House. Then she talks about the bill. Since she wrote it, you go girl.

Keith gives a long boring answer to the money in politics...and references his role as Gov. Leavitt's Olympic trustee. Yet didn't Bush and Rumsfeld etc. get cushy seats?

[UPDATE 3] Vouchers Jenny is clear and talks about how the school district split is a "distraction" she wants the focus to be smaller class sizes etc. Ralph echos her comments and talked about what he did in the legislature and his efforts to get it on the ballot.

JP Hughes calls it a "wedge issue" and talks about the book Freakonomics and about special education...which has nothing really to do with vouchers. So even if he weren't a throw away vote, now I am really won't support him.

Keith "I wish we weren't dealing with this issue" I am sure you do because you hate reminding people that you are a Republican.

[UPDATE 2] Keith C. goes left for gay rights, comparing them to Rosa Parks. Maybe it because gay men vote at about 95% and lesbians in the high 80%s

Jenny W. tells stories, talks about legislation she has offered/passed.

Ralph praises Rocky and points to his plans on his website: civil partnership, hate crimes, etc.


[UPDATE] Keith C. seems to be answering the "Mo" question very defensively...but he is articulate.

Jenny is giving a great answer, and we learn she was raised LDS but has let go of the rod so to speak. She said she would challenge the Church when necessary.

Ralph says he separation of church and state. Him and Jenny are trying to create space between Keith and themselves.

JP Hughes proudly touts his Mo-cred and all his love for it and knowledge blah blah blah. You ain't gonna win.


my question was asked first... and despite my wishes, they asked the question to all of the candidates, including the also rans.

Jenny Wilson had a bit of tongue troubles, but all candidates kind of used my question to be their proxy opening statement. Then again, that was sort of the point.

One major beef with this forum format is that they have no time limits which makes the also rans tempted to blab. I am glad to learn that Renteria is not crazy nor is JP Hughes.

Ms. Wilson seems a bit nervous which is odd since this crowd is super small and she already ran a really tough race in 2004.

1 comment:

Jennifer Killpack-Knutsen said...

I noticed at a mayoral forum a few weeks ago that Jenny sounded very nervous. She seemed to warm up towards the end of the forum, though.