Tuesday’s debate among the Democratic Candidate for the 5th District Congressional seat in Devens was well attended. For the most part, those of us there were hard core and already declared supporters of the various candidates. Prior to the start of the debate, the room was about one-quarter filled but when the sign holders came in from outside, it quickly became standing room only.
The debate was sponsored by the Sun, North Middlesex Savings Bank and the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce. Was the location was selected to feature the Devens Commons? Most of us from the Merrimack Valley side of the 5th District are not that familiar with the Nashoba Valley side, so this was a good opportunity to visit.
Also, it gave the Sun an equally good opportunity to showcase Devens and have the issue of establishing it as Massachusetts town raised in this public forum. By the way, all the candidates when questioned on this issue, said it is a local matter.
The Sun’s web page includes a video clip of the event. Here is Hilary Chabot’s article and here is Matt Murphy’s. I do not agree with the headline “The Gloves Come Off” but there were some interesting exchanges between the candidates.
It is difficult in a debate of 1 ½ hour that includes 5 individuals to give a detailed report on what happened, and for the most part, Chabot and Murphy do a good job. Although the labeling of this as the “first general debate” is somewhat accurate, the other debates/forums were equally informative. By the way, this was my fourth and Lynne’s fifth. Granted the format may have differed somewhat but the candidates positions on issues has remained the same. I did notice since that first forum back in late March, they all have fine tuned their delivery, are much more comfortable with their presentations and are now working hard to develop an identity with those voters who are paying attention.
As an Eileen Donoghue supporter, I need to elaborate on a misleading comment that was made in the article about her position on the war and troop withdrawal. “Donoghue suggested a roughly 18-month period of departure,” is what appeared in the paper. What Eileen actually said was “I support setting a timetable and getting the troops home tomorrow. What that means, realistically, is that it would take us about 12-18 months at best to return the troops and the equipment home.”
I am sure that the other campaigns have the same gripe about some of the comments attributed to their candidates but those are the difficulties that reporters have in writing about such events.
Here we are almost 3 months into the campaign, so here are observations on the Democratic candidates:
Jim Miceli: There is something about him that I like but his beliefs remain as wacky as the first time I heard them. I think he is a capable person but I do not agree with his views on anything: immigration, the war, the economy, etc… He is definitely old school and acts paternal towards the other two State Reps, Finegold and Eldridge. I know that they are young enough to be his sons but there are his colleagues; he should show them a little bit more respect.
Jaime Eldridge: Lynne’s candidate. He is pretty sharp, confident and knowledgeable on a wide range of issues. It is obvious he is a clear thinker with strong opinions. I am not sure about proclaiming that he can lead in Congress. Next time, one of his opponents may ask him is bound to ask him as a State Rep, what did you lead? Also, he did make a comment about Lowell which he needs to clarify. We may not be the “center of the civilization” but we are the largest city in the 5th District with 105,000 legal residents. And we are very sensitive.
Barry Finegold: He had a lot of supporters there last night. But he has not been able to stand out, except for his proposal on ending the war in Iraq; the three state solution; a non-solution as far as I am concerned. It is just a way for us to feel good that we can leave that country and it will not seek deeper into the hell that is now Iraq. But out of all the candidates running in this election, he seems to be the one most attuned with what is going on in the entire Middle East that is why his stance is puzzling.
Niki Tsongas: Well, she is running her campaign not to lose. This is what happens when you are perceived to be the front runner. She wants to protect her lead. Yesterday, some of her weaknesses were exposed when she attempted to answer both Eldridge’s question and Donoghue’s. She did not answer Jaime’s and in her exchange with Eileen, she fumbled.
Eileen Donoghue: She is getting better and better with every debate. Last night we saw the Eileen
that we, in Lowell, know and admire. The only criticism I have is not of her but of the campaign; Donoghue supporters need to show up in larger numbers at these events. The other camps outdraw us. I know that last night was the Spinners opening night, but come on folks…excuses, excuses.
Other Thoughts:
The dummest question asked of the candidates: Who do you support in the Presidential race? They all said, “uh.”
Moderator: Read the questions well and the format did give everyone an opportunity to elaborate; but his back was to the audience. That works well in a televised debate but I do not think it worked all that well last night.
The candidates should have been sitting and there should have been more room between them. Standing up for couple of hours is difficult. I think Donoghue and Finegold benefited from the height of the podium. Jaime is too tall, Jim and Niki too short. Things like this should not matter in a campaign but unfortunately they do. I know that in some debates they provide an adjusted platform so that everyone is the same height.
One last comment, in a totally classless act, the organizers of the debate made the reporter of the Acton Beacon sit in the audience instead of sitting up front with the rest of the print media. There were a half dozen tables reserved for the journalists, mostly from the Sun or sister publications; (I do not think the Boston dailies sent anyone). By the way, two of those tables were empty and the Editor of the Sun was sitting at a table all by himself.
Believe me it was not easy for the Beacon correspondent to write for 1 ½ while holding that reporter’s pad. And then he had the misfortune of having Lynne and I sit next to him. (We tend to do commentary as we listen). It would have been a bit easier for him to do his job if he had access to the table and perhaps a lap top, like the other print journalists. He was not going to scoop anyone at the Sun; his paper is a weekly. Why not show him some professional courtesy? He is a young man, maybe in his mid-twenties; doesn’t the concept of mentoring exist in the print media?
Lynne filmed the entire event and will soon post the video on LiL.
UPDATE: Correction: I just wanted to clarify the whole seating thing at the debate. No one made me sit in the audience, Correction: I misunderstood the Beacon’s reporter’s dilemma. He just assumed that the tables up front were for the other reporters. He said he was perfectly happy sitting with Lynne and I. He didn’t ask to sit up there because it was not a big deal for him. “I guess after so many years as an intern without a press pass I’ve come to expect to sit with the audience.”
