9:07 PM: Thompson starting off really trying to push against those ‘do away with Medicare/Medicaid’ remarks. Heavy emphasis on health care and women’s health care.
9:12 PM: Having watched a lot of crazy over the last two years, it’s sort of weird watching a debate with two fairly competent people making their case.
9:16 PM: Thompson comes off fairly well in this debate so far. But Thompson’s role in the Bush administration may be his achilles heel. Also not sure his chuckling at her while she’s talking works for him.
9:19 PM: “I’m a builder. I built Wisconsin.” Thompson just said that. That sounded sort of weird.
9:21 PM: Interesting. Thompson basically just came out for abolishing the filibuster … Baldwin basically agreed, though she was a bit more vague.
9:23 PM: Baldwin gets a question on Social Security, tries to shift it to Medicare (Thompson’s weak point).
9:24 PM: Thompson seems to really be leading with a glass jaw on Medicare. Is it considered too mean in Wisconsin for Baldwin to hit back?
9:25 PM: Weird, I’m being deluged by emails from the Thompson campaign. Zero from the Baldwin campaign.
9:26 PM: Maybe I don’t get Wisconsin politics. Thompson said a few days ago — or the tape was released a few days ago — showing him saying he wanted to do away with Medicare. He just said he’d save it. No response from Baldwin. Guess maybe she doesn’t think she needs to?
