Doofus v. Dan: The great debate of 2020
Last night, you got your only chance to see the two main candidates for governor, Roy Cooper and Dan Forest, in the same room answering questions and stuff.
I watched it with two political pro friends (who have no dog in the fight for governor). Here’s what they came away with:
- Forest helped himself. All of us agreed that Forest exuded a lot of confidence and cool. He made it clear he belonged up there on the stage with Cooper. Cooper was the opposite of calm and cool. He came out swinging right from the start of the debate. Cooper snarled at Forest like there was something really personal between the two. I agree with political scientist David McLennan, who offered post-debate analysis online for WRAL. The professor noted how calm and cool and confident Forest kept himself during the debate. He also noted that Cooper was not behaving like a candidate who is up by 13 points in the polls. (WRAL released a poll last night with just that margin.)
- “Money Quote?” Cooper had one (his closing argument). and Forest did not. My consultant comrades said events like this require a ready-made quote that is almost guaranteed to get major play in the post-debate media coverage. You lay this one at the feet of Lt. Dan’s. consultants and campaign management.
- Clothes make the man. My consultant friends told me clothing choices are crucial for events like this. They speak volumes about the candidate — whether you look senatorial or gubernatorial to the voters. Cooper got the memo on this and complied. Forest apparently did not. Again, this falls at the feet of whomever prepped Lt. Dan for the debate.
Cooper has been all over the TV and newspaper thanks to COVID. Dan Forest — thanks to the low key nature of his job — has had to work much harder to gain publicity.
Today, while out and about, I came across some moderate, basically apolitical friends. To my surprise, they had sued into the debate. Their take? They agreed that Forest actually came off as smarter than Cooper. They also noted that Cooper came off as mean — like an *a-hole* — with his snarling at Forest. My friends also recognized that Cooper is responsible for the COVID-related economic mess in the state.
Let’s hope plenty more open-minded folks like this were watching last night.
Rarely you see someone speak that you are not wishing that they would have said this or said that but Dan Forest did a masterful job fighting Demon Roy Cooper on that stage. Every answer was a direct hit to Coopers failed logic and leadership too bad to many people are not smart enough to understand the intelligence in the points Dan made
I thought Forest helped himself and I was very apprehensive going in; knowing that was Cooper’s life, of politics. However, Forest kept Cooper in-check, made him defensive on lockdown, unemployment, shuttered biz, ‘science’, DOT and HIS MARCHING UNMASKED….countering Cooper’s bald-faced lie about Forest supporters. Cooper did not fail; he knows how to debate. Also, another great line, NO Natl Guard TO PROTECT Raleigh; while he was locked-up, protected and allowing rioters and looters to destroy and many of those same biz, remain boarded up….as he ate lunch there this wk…(GREAT LINE).
What I did see numerous times on social media, many posts of: who is this man, Cooper. Not the slo’ talking’, Mayberry Cooper he portends to be at his ‘very guarded pressers’. Many saw Cooper for just what he is, an egotistical, indignant, aggressive ass so many of us know him to be in the GA and now as the Gov. Let there be NO DOUBT, this state ain’t opening or going anywhere w/ Cooper, Stein and NC Courts.
And, yes, GREAT point Forest, WHY give medicare expansion $$ to Cooper, he’ll squander them as he has done at DOT and other agencies under his direct supervision.
Another tidbit, anyone hear Levin last night? Stated he had asked Tillis on his show numerous times and Tillis camp has yet to respond??
I don’t know who is going to win the Governors race, but something is motivating Unaffiliated voters to mob the polls, and I have a feeling it’s not just about Trump.
We can only hope many of these unaffiliated have experienced Cooper’s tyranny and shutdowns!
Hear Cohen state, we are close to moving BACK in phases? She threw that statement out there yesterday, emphatically.
Could very well see this next wk IF Cooper thinks the panic, despair, fear WORKS.
It HAS worked with seniors. This segment is scared to death; they don’t leave home, they don’t go to church; they don’t go to doctors; they are afraid to leave home.
Hoping the unaffiliated have seen Tn, Ga, Fl, SC REOPEN and manage their states at same time. NOT so with Cooper.
I was told, numerous times by a so-called insider GOP, that Republican Gov’s Assoc were providing $$$millions of ads against Cooper. I’ve YET to see 1???? Perhaps that have/did in Triangle, Charlotte?
Just sent a special prayer to the creator of the universe for Dan Forest to become Governor and 20.00 to his campaign fund. God bless America and God bless North Carolina!
Thank you for the comments. I couldn’t watch the debate but am glad Forest did OK. My criticism remains his lack of fortitude in the three years before Wuhan flu. Cooper provided ample opportunities for a scrap that would have helped our state, for instance to beat back the teacher union goons and the scandalous spending at DOT. I fear with Forest it is too little, too late to overcome the WuFlu fear among sheeple in our state. Career politicians and bureaucrats need to lose jobs and savings to see what they have done to us. Retirees on government pensions also belong to this protected class.