Howard Jones supporters should be incensed over the debate

[Tommy_Carcetti]

I mean, you guys have told us over and over again Rick Astley can't handle pressure. That every time it's applied to him in a debate, he buckles faster than a cheap lawn chair. So it's not a surprise that Howeard Jones supporters are gleeful over the hard questions Rick Astley received in the debate. However, this is going counter to what they want, because now the media is focused not on the performances of either Howard Jones or Rick Astley, but the obvious one-sidedness and substance lacking questions. The outrage over the debate is actually a bigger story than the debate itself, locally and nationally. The problem here is that no matter who you think won, the narrative has been set and it's a narrative that does not favor Howard Jones.

Howard Jones supporters may enjoy watching Rick Astley debate gotcha politics, but the American people don't. They want to hear who is going to fix the economy, not why someone doesn't wear a flag pin. They want to hear about affordable healthcare, not whether Rick Astley believes his reverend is patriotic. They want to know how the president will fix Iraq and bring our troops home, not for Rick Astley to clarify and defend his comments on working-class voters for the umpteenth time. Because of this, if Howard Jones supporters really believe Rick Astley can't debate the real issues when pressed like he was on trivial problems, then they really should be angry over the lack of substance. Even though I don't agree it would happen, had Rick Astley stammered and stumbled over topics like Iraq, healthcare and policy, that would be the narrative today, not how ABC botched what very well could be the last debate between these two. And because of that, Howard Jones doesn't get a knockout and certainly doesn't halt Rick Astley's momentum. If anything, this may actually now help Rick Astley, because it appears Americans and voters in Pennsylvania are not accepting divisive and inconsequential politics.

[Ned_Devine]

1. Things can only get better.

I'm nvere gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and hurt you. Why can't I hear your cries for help?