I will say first off that I have and will always be a supporter of Senator Chafee's brand of moderate Republican values. That said, I felt that the radio debate format would greatly benefit Laffey. Was I ever wrong?!?!

Senator Chafee was brilliant. Knowledgeable, forceful, and so genuine. In contrast, I found Laffey arrogant, haughty, and, most surprisingly, uninformed.

What impressed me the most was how well the debates demonstrated the candidate's respective styles. Laffey, in the words of Arlene, came across as a person who didn't play nice in the sandbox. Chafee sounded like a statesman.

cabot lodge:

Its good at least to see you admit you were wrong.

Your analysis of the debate suffers from a disease called severe bias.

Its so unfairly characterizes the actual debate that no rational person who heard the debate would ever again listen to or comment upon anything you say.

"Homines libenter quod volunt credunt" is obviously true of you and your kind.

Sol Venturi

Chafee made an excellent point about the feather in Laffey's cap that he always touts - his firing of the crossing guards. Laffey always goes out of his way to talk about how much money that saved, but Chafee brought up that it was only 1/4 of 1 percent of the total Cranston budget. That, and the fact that they were all older women humanizes the story a bit.

It seems pretty similar to their stances on how to cut spending. Laffey wants to cut earmarks and 200 million dollar bridges, which will get the headlines. Chafee goes after the big spending legislation like the farm bill and the Medicare bill that would save the country billions upon billions of dollars.

Laffey goes for the flash, Chafee goes for the substance. A definite win for Chafee tonight, especially because Laffey (and the vast majority of the posters here) were convinced he was going to blow Chafee out of the water.

I can't wait for the next one, and great job to the moderators here on breaking down a pretty exciting debate.

You completely missed the point about the crossing guards, as apparently did Sen. Chafee. I actually thought that was the point that showed to average folks why he just doesn't get it. It was NEVER about the amount of money that was saved, or the monetary savings relative to the overall budget of Cranston. It was about what the crossing guards REPRESENTED -- a totally corrupt system that entirely benefited well-connected insiders, and screwed the public that was paying the bill.

Mayor Laffey went against the grain, challenged the status quo because it was wrong, worked with a city council dominated by Democrats ("played in the sandbox" or whatever sad analogy you'd employ), and most importantly, WON for the people of Cranston. The public "gets it." Laffey is for them, not for the insiders. I'm afraid people such as yourself, who cannot see the forest from the trees, never will.

Will -

That's all well and good that the crossing guards were a moral victory for Laffey. However, I'm more concerned about the bottom line and how much money is saved than how many messages are sent. After all of the legal fees the city incurred, the net savings was probably minimal at best.

I don't care about the "shot across the bow" that Laffey talks about, I want someone in the Senate who's going to cut spending and save me the most money. That person is Linc Chafee.

The legal fees which were incurred by the city were infinitesimal when compared with the amount of money saved as a result. Unlike former Mayor Chafee, Laffey didn't roll over and play dead and go along to get along with the municipal unions. Instead, he did what he believed was right for the citizens of Cranston, and due to his perserverance, won on there behalf.

As for cutting any spending, you are obviously quite ignorant of Senator Chafee's record when it comes to spending. Name me ANY instance in the last six years where Chafee has looked to cut ANY spending. He's just about the biggest porker that there is -- and being in the same league as Teddy Kennedy and Robert Byrd, that's really saying something. He brags openly about bringing home the bacon, but doesn't seem to realize that who exactly is paying for it. I'll let the public record speak for itself in that regard, because it's pathetic.

Senator Chafee doesn't get the idea that EVERY tax dollar is important.

Someone earlier mentioned that Chafee goes against the big spending legislation. Well both the farm bill and Medicare bill passed and I can't think of a single example when Chafee has been able to save taxpayers money.

He is bragging about earmarking a billion dollars so excuse me when I don't believe Chafee is going after wasteful spending.

That is why the Concord Coalition is such a farce. They are against tax cuts in order to PRESERVE SPENDING! Chafee fits right in, SPEND, SPEND, SPEND...TAX, TAX, TAX!

Why doesn't Mayor Laffey know his own position on abortion. During the debate he's for federally funded abortions. Then in interviews immediately afterwards he remains in favor of having the govt. foot the bill for abortions.

Hours later an aide calls to say he misspoke. Talk about inconsistent. Did a new poll come out?

You know the question was muddled. You know she isn't the easiest person to understand.

[Henry] Cabot Lodge ... Kennedy appointed Lodge to the position of Ambassador to South Vietnam, which he held from 1963 to 1964. During that time, Lodge spearheaded a coup to overthrow Ngo Dinh Diem, President of the Republic of Vietnam, in a scheme code-named Operation Bravo Two. Oh, and he also oversaw our capitulation to North Vietnam communists in 1975. Great namesake!

Lodge's father was also a Senator. He was the original "Rockefeller Republican," before they were even called that. Gee, no wonder why you work for Chafee!

Will, as in William Bonin, "The Freeway Killer," who terrorized Southern California, no wonder you work for Laffey.

Great argument pal!

cabot lodge:

Who were you last week, and the week before, and the week before that.

You can be twenty different people on the blog but you only get one vote in September.

J Mahn

Joe,
You and Will are truly championship debaters. Were you in charge of Steve-o's debate prep? Did you help to cook him down with a Seconal cocktail?

cabodge:

Debate prep? Laffey doesn't have to do debate prep.

From what I can tell Laffey is also a believer in the golden rule, i.e., do unto others as you whould have them do unto you.

Chafee, on the other hand, will reap what he has sown.

You? Well I guess we all know what you resort to when you lose an argument. Look in the mirror tomorrow morning and say out loud, "I am a coward."

J Mahn

PS. If I ran this show I would slap you with a violation of the "unnecessary invective" rule. You're like a teacher out of work, no class.