Final GOP debate erupts into shoutfest (NJ)

[stevedeshazer]

The seven Republican candidates for governor squared off in their final debate yesterday, shouting over each other about property taxes and the negative tone of the primary in a raucous, freewheeling affair televised live on WCBS.

In an effort to break the candidates away from the stock answers they used during five previous televised debates, organizers set a looser format. There were no time limits for responses and the rivals had the opportunity to jump into the fray at will.

But in a race with low voter interest, the final encounter before tomorrow's election illustrated the candidates' desperation to be heard in an exceptionally crowded field. Much of the hour-long broadcast turned into a free-for-all and, at one point, left the moderator pleading for order.

"Our viewers would pray that you would just give us one answer at a time," said Jim Rosenfield, an anchor for WCBS, which sponsored the event along with the New York Times.

more: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1118033586172050.xml&coll=1

[merwin]

1. They really are the hyenas (think lion king)

[bluestateguy]

2. You can't have a debate with 7 candidates on the stage

That's why it was so exasperating and useless in the Democratic primaries with 9 or 10 candidates jam packed onto the stage. I'm not going to reopen old fights from primary season by naming names, but common sense dictated that there were 3 or 4 major candidates in the race, and that the others were just kids yapping to sit at the grownups table.