Davis Earns Strong Reviews of Debate Performance
Florida Media Outlets Say Crist Struggled While Davis Looked Strong
TAMPA – Media reports across Florida this morning confirm most Floridians’ impressions of last night’s second gubernatorial debate: Democratic nominee Jim Davis showed the depth and substance Floridians want in their next governor, while Crist struggled to defend his record on issues like rising crime rates, rising insurance costs and government intrusion into the life of Terri Schiavo.
Listed below is just a sampling of this morning’s coverage of Davis ’s performance:
MacManus: Davis “Came Through” and was the “Winner” of the Debate
Offering her own post-debate spin on WFLA-TV, Dr. Susan MacManus said Davis’s strong performance earned him the support of undecided voters, making him the “winner”: “Well I certainly think [the undecided voters] learned a lot about who can act best under fire and who really knows the facts, and I have to say that I think Davis really came through with a lot of facts, and if I had to score a winner, it’d probably be him.” [WFLA-NBC, 10.30.06]
Adam Smith: Davis ’s Performance Showed Voters “A Smart and Steady Prospective Governor”
Noting Davis ’s win over Crist in last week’s debate, Adam Smith of the St. Petersburg Times called Davis ’s performance last night even “stronger.” He said “Davis came off as comfortable and quick on his feet,” and compared Crist’s poor performance to Bill McBride’s during the 2002 debate: “Crist in contrast seemed not even to have a decent sound bite ready — a la Bill McBride in his 2002 debate with Gov. Jeb Bush.” Smith said Davis ’s performance would influence undecided voters who would see him as a “smart and steady prospective governor.” [ St. Petersburg Times, 10.31.06]
Scott Maxwell: Davis “Seemed Confident” and “Convincing”
Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel said Davis “held his own” during the debate: “ Davis seemed confident -- especially when calling out Crist, who sat on the sidelines in the Schiavo case. After Crist claimed he opposed Jeb Bush’s intervention in the case, Davis calmly responded in convincing fashion: ‘No, he didn’t. Charlie refused to take a position.’ Couple that with Davis’ repeatedly stressing that Crist talks about wanting to take on insurance companies now, when he has done little on that front as attorney general, and Davis helped create an image of a man who was more talk than action.” [Orlando Sentinel, 10.31.06]
Tampa Tribune: “Crist Took a Pounding” While Davis Had His “Best Moment”
The Tampa Tribune said Crist spent most of the debate on the defensive: “In the raucous atmosphere… [the] normally mild-mannered Crist took a pounding.” Davis , on the other hand, emerged looking strong: “[t]he debate turned into what some considered the best moment so far in Davis ' underdog campaign.” [ Tampa Tribune, 10.31.06]
Sun-Sentinel: Crist “Appeared Uncharacteristically Angered by the Questioning”
The Sun-Sentinel said Davis handled the tough questioning better than Crist: “Crist appeared uncharacteristically angered by the questioning, while Davis, who in previous debates and stage appearances has appeared nervous, delved a bit more eagerly into the verbal tussle.” [Sun-Sentinel, 10.31.06]
Miami Herald: Crist “on the Defensive” on His Record on Crime
“Crist found himself on the defensive on the issue that has been at the forefront of the attorney general's platform: crime. Crist claimed that crime ‘has gone down in our state,’ but when Matthews noted that violent crime was up, Crist responded: ‘The only violent crime that’s up is murder.’ That prompted Matthews to compare Crist to disgraced Washington Mayor Marion Berry, who used to boast that crime was down even though murder was up. ‘For most people, murder is the big one,’ Matthews said.” [Miami Herald, 10.31.06]
Orlando Sentinel: Crist “Skewered” for Use of Crime Statistics
“At one point, Matthews skewered Crist for touting the state’s record-low crime rate, even as the candidate acknowledged that murders in Florida , particularly in Orlando , are soaring. Matthews said Crist sounded like disgraced former Washington , D.C. , mayor Marion Barry. ‘For most people, murder is the big one. Why didn't you say that?’ Matthews said. ‘Crime is going down, but murder is going up? That's what Marion Barry used to say in D.C.’” [Orlando Sentinel, 10.31.06]
Sun-Sentinel: Davis Used Opportunity To “Flay” Crist on Property Insurance Issue
According to the Sun-Sentinel: “Near the end of the debate, Matthews directed the conversation toward the topic that has overwhelmed the campaign up until now -- homeowner insurance costs. Davis used the topic to flay Crist for wanting to "stay the course" with Republican policies and for failing to stand up to powerful insurance lobbyists…. Davis blasted Crist for reportedly accepting at least $2 million campaign donations from insurers and criticized Crist's proposal to stabilize the market, even suggesting that Jeb Bush, who attended the debate, has expressed doubts about the workability of his solutions.” [Sun-Sentinel, 10.31.06]
Miami Herald: “Crist Made a Few Misstatements”
“Crist made a few misstatements. He said that before Sept. 11, the U.S. ‘had never been attacked on our soil before,’ overlooking Pearl Harbor . He also said he opposed congressional efforts to stop the husband of Terri Schiavo from removing the brain-damaged woman’s feeding tubes; but Crist did not take a public position until months after the controversy was over.” [ Miami Herald, 10.31.06]
Palm Beach Post: Crist Claims on Schiavo Not “Borne Out By The Record”
“In another instance, Matthews pressed Crist on the Republican-led intervention into the Terri Schiavo case, asking whether he had taken a position during the state and federal maneuvering over the fate of the brain-damaged woman. Crist finally said: ‘Yes, I did.’… Crist's statement does not appear to be borne out by the record. Crist, the state's top lawyer, was noticeably absent from the discussion at the time and did not take a public stand. During the first debate, Crist said that lack of a public position was proof of his sentiment on the matter. ‘That’s why I stayed out ... because it wasn’t the right thing to do in my point of view,’ Crist said last week.” [Palm Beach Post, 10.31.06]
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