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Edited on Tue Nov-24-09 01:43 AM by No Elephants
Watched a panel of the four candidates chaired by Emily Rooney. Coakley seemed to have the least knowledge of how Congress works, of the health care bill and the rest of the issues.
Health care reform: It really seemed as though she had no knowledge of the issues or the bill beyond a few catch phrases like "strong public option." Worse, she did not seem to realize when those catch phrases sounded bizarre because they had nothing to do with the subject of the discussion.
For instance, when the subject was tort reform, she said "A strong public option is the best way to get competition." Pagliuca informed her that her comment had absolutely nothing to do with tort reform, whereupon, she nodded and had nothing at all to say about the topic of tort reform, and Rooney did not press her on it.
She said she would have voted against the house bill bc of the Stupak Amendment. Capuano informed her that, if she had done that, the panel would not be discussing the bill because health care reform would be dead already if the House had done that. Again, she had no follow up and Rooney did not press her for one.
At one point, she was so far out in left field, Capuano asked her if she read the bill. She said she had, but nothing she said during the entire discussion suggested that she was familiar with the bill or with how to get it passed (or kill it, if that's what she prefers).
On another occasion (different interview entirely), she was asked about her knowledge and experience regarding foreign policy and international affairs. She responded that her sister lives in Europe and she's been to visit her there several times. Wowza. How Palinesque. "I can see international affairs from my sister's European home?"
She gave Fr. Geogan (child molesting priest who was convicted by someone else in the case of another child and ultimately killed in prison) probation the first time he was charged. She said probation was the best she could do, given the testimony of the witness. Again, wowza. I don't think anyone pressed her on that, either, but they may have and just did not air the rest.
Capuano has experience with both domestic and foreign issues. So, I would feel most comfortable with him, as opposed to putting a novice in Kennedy's seat. And he is progressive. However, Karzai and Pagliuca seemed intelligent and totally up to speed on the issues. Coakley was the only one who stood out as lacking both. She was the only one who was embarrassing. Worse, she did not seem to realize that all the other candidates outclassed her by a lot.
Although I do not like Coakley because she seems even less progressive than the corporatist, I take no pleasure in saying that the only female candidate also seems like the least competent candidate. To the contrary, it pains me.
Yet, she is the only one who has name recognition across the entire state because of all her years as a prosecutor, has raised the most money, in great art because of her name recognition and a large donation from Emily's List and , and therefore has been the front runner all along.
Sad. I hope that changes fast. The primary is December 8.
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