I just got done watching the 2006 gubernatorial debate in which Bell (D), Friedman (I), Perry (R), and Strayhorn (I) battled wits on the television. I usually watch debates, but I don’t remember the last one in which half the participants were independents. I am a Libertarian and intend on voting for James Werner on 11/07.

So I noted a few things that I observed during the debate that I thought I would run through in no particular order:

Strayhorn and Friedman avoided answering questions. Most questions were direct and were met with indirect answers and references to either how Perry (or other politicians) have corrupted the government or other unrelated rants. In several of the 15 second answer sections, Strayhorn and Friedman were asked questions in which they did not have answers and instead started spewing campaign rants.

The two independents said a few things that definitely lowered their perceived intelligence. Friedman once said that the “Internet is the work of Satan.” Strayhorn kept saying “in a Strayhorn administration.” Friedman kept saying that politicians are crooked and he wanted to throw them out, he even equated them to “blood sucking parasites.” Friedman refrained from answering the question as to whether his comments that “negro is a colorful word” is borderline racist. Both Bell and Perry refrained from saying anything hair brained.

Okay, so the debate clearly became a campaign propaganda platform for the Independent participants. Perry mostly spent his time defending the last 6 or so years of his policies. Bell mostly spent his time explaining how he planned on being heard over the other parties. Friedman spent his time complaining about current politicians and how he wanted to replace them with his friends like pot-smoking Willie Nelson; he also neglected to say why the current politicians need to be replaced Strayhorn spent the whole time complaining about Perry and saying “in a Strayhorn administration,” things will be different but failed to explain how.

All in all, Rick Perry was the best debater. Watching the Independent candidates against him was like watching a a 130lb greasy nerd attempt to tackle Terrel Owens. It’s no wonder people generally don’t respond well to third party candidates; if this is what they are using to judge all third parties at a glance, these two candidates did not do a service to other third parties. It’s a shame there wasn’t an intelligent third party candidate who was capable of forming a fluid thought to answer the questions posed.

See you at the polls.