Who shined (and didn’t) at the debates | Election Newsletter

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It’s been a marathon week of debates and we got a front-row seat, helping moderate two of them at Dickinson College in Carlisle. Unflattering screen grabs below for proof and posterity.

We love debates. They’re a window into who these candidates are and their strategies. They help us gauge who really knows policy and who might be faking it. They give us an idea of a person’s temperament and, occasionally, their sense of humor.

Here’s some of what we learned about the top Senate candidates by watching four debates over the last six days. Oh and there’s a pretty big GOP gubernatorial debate tonight.

THE REPUBLICANS

Mehmet Oz wielded that Trump endorsement like an iron shield, trying to block opponents from landing blows over his shifting stances on issues including abortion and guns. Four times in the opening 20 minutes of Monday’s debate, the celebrity surgeon used Trump’s support to fend off attacks against his conservative credentials. It’s clearly going to be his answer to any RINO insinuations. And he’ll get to stand on a stage with Trump at a rally next Friday.

David McCormick is trying a delicate dance of attacking Oz but not Trump. It’s a new dynamic he and other Republicans are trying to navigate, as they look to discredit Oz without looking like they oppose the party’s clear leader. “The reason Mehmet keeps talking about President Trump’s endorsement is because he can’t run on his own positions and his own records,” McCormick said Monday. “The problem, Doctor, is there’s no miracle cure for flip-flopping.” The question is whether McCormick’s argument — and his multi-million dollar ad buys — can drown out all that Trump buzz for Oz.

Kathy Barnette might be the most agile debater in the GOP field. She knows how to deflect and throw a punch, all with the kind of poise that has us questioning if she ever breaks a sweat. She’s got a unique personal story that she knows how to bring into conversation, and has been relentlessly campaigning across the state. As Oz and McCormick spend millions bashing one another, Barnette is emerging as the leading alternative if GOP voters get wary of the ultra-wealthy front-runners who have each only recently moved to Pennsylvania.

THE DEMOCRATS

John Fetterman… is not a very good debater. He’s awkward. He’s unpolished. He doesn’t come off as super knowledgeable on policy because his answers tend to be vague and rambling. And he seems unhappy about having to go through this whole debate thing, and defensive even when asked to spell out his own policies. But here’s the thing: The number of voters who tune into these is likely very, very small. (Monday night’s debate was only available on PCN, CSPAN, and online). And so the view many voters get of Fetterman will come from his own TV ads, his many cable news appearances, and his time on the political stage over the years. Plus, plenty of his fans like that he doesn’t seem like your typical slick politician.

Malcolm Kenyatta… is a very good debater. A much talked about topic among the mingling crowd of journalists after the Dickinson debate — besides Fetterman’s lackluster showing — was what will Kenyatta, who is just 31, do next? It’s not exactly what someone actively trying to become a U.S. Senator wants to hear, but barring some tectonic shift, Kenyatta won’t win this thing. Still, the campaign has been good for his political stock. He knows where to slide in zingers and more direct challenges to Fetterman, and he thinks well on his feet. His personal story is a big part of his campaign, and he weaves his background into answers pretty effortlessly. To his chagrin, a lot of Democrats were probably watching and thinking, “he’ll be great on the campaign trail — campaigning for Fetterman.”

Conor Lamb politely took umbrage at one point Monday with a question about abolishing the Electoral College — given that it requires amending the U.S. Constitution. He’s a “let’s get down to the facts” kind of debater who projects practicality and poise. He’s good at defending past votes that could alienate progressives, often deflecting with some detailed policy reason why he thought a bill was bad. From the get-go, his campaign has been about a calm, polished vibe — read “safe” for voters worried about electability. And he exhibits that with a dash of his dry sense of humor. But the issue hasn’t been what Lamb can do on a debate stage. It’s about what his campaign, which has significantly underperformed expectations, can do, period. While some voters might want stability, others want to shake up the status quo.

“God has his hand over us. And they’re not gonna get me to cower.”

— State Sen. Doug Mastriano, a leading Republican candidate for governor, touting the fact that he’s been subpoenaed by the congressional committee investigating the Capitol attack while campaigning at an event last week that promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory.

We asked you last week for suggested questions to ask the candidates at these debates. Thanks to all who responded. And special thanks to Don Bishop, whose question we asked at both the Democratic and Republican debates. Don asked:

“Negative campaign ads seem to poison the electorate’s attitudes toward all politicians. Since some of those politicians eventually become leaders of our country, do you think something needs to be done to temper this agonizing negativity? If so, what?”

Unfortunately for Don, the question about negativity led to more negativity.

Fetterman used it as a chance to blast Lamb over an allied super PAC that ran a negative — and false — ad attacking the front-runner. Lamb responded by reminding viewers that the PAC is independent from his campaign — but then doubled down on the crux of its message by saying Fetterman’s support for Bernie Sanders and past liberal positions could hurt him in a general election.

At the Republican debate, this question actually sparked one of the sharpest exchanges of the night, chronicled by our colleagues Anna Orso and Sean Collins Walsh. Carla Sands and Sean Gale criticized Kathy Barnette, the only Black Republican running for Senate, accusing her of emphasizing race on the campaign trail.

“She claimed that because she’s a woman, a minority, and has a great personal story, she will win in November,” Sands said of Barnette. Gale said she’s “running a campaign based purely on identity politics.”

Barnette brushed them aside.

“Listen, they’re punching up right now,” she said, citing a recent poll that showed her ahead of the other candidates on stage. “They’re losing, so they’re looking for a viral moment.”

Sorry we couldn’t end negative campaigning for ya, Don.

We’ll see you next week!