Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Jesters and tyrants at the gubernatorial debate.

A few hours ago I attended, as part of the Barry Hess camp, a debate between the candidates for governor.

Len Munsil was the clear winner, having cogent answers for every question and issuing attack after attack on sitting governor Janet Napolitano's track record, to which she couldn't respond. Although he meandered a bit, and although he's on the border-is-the-solution-to-whatever-it-is bandwagon, his polish meant he outclassed the backpedaling, avoidant Napolitano and the wild, somewhat shallow Hess.

Hess, although he came off more like a court jester than a serious politician, still has my vote; Munsil's stances on gay rights (equal rights=special rights), border issues (enforcement only), and health care (limit access to the courts) are intolerable although he has a noted libertarian drift on others.

Barry Hess, if he runs again, is in serious need of a brain trust. Libertarian answers--answers, not dodges, mock "principles", or sophisticated flourishes--to everyday questions of policy exist and are often simple, but Hess only showed an understanding thereof about half of the time. The rest was spent in a sort of handwaving about getting government out of the way--then what?-- and either sloganizing or making wisecracks. I don't know what sick twist of fate brought the libertarian brawn to Phoenix and the brains to Tucson. I do know that to be taken seriously Hess either needs to discuss and be coached on the issues in advance or the Libertarians need to run someone more able or less afraid to be on-topic and cogent.

Ah well; jesters still beat tyrants, as far as I'm concerned.

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