Published September 8, 2010
Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker, left, independent Timothy Cahill, second left, moderator and political analyst Jon Keller, center, Gov. Deval Patrick, second right, and Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein, right, prepare for the first televised debate at the WBZ-TV studios on Tuesday. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)
On this stormy Wednesday morning, Boston is buzzing about last night’s first televised gubernatorial debate. So who won?
Who won really depends on who watched. If the audience was relatively small, and mostly voters who have already made up their minds, the debate was probably not a game-changer. But with a four-candidate dynamic, little shifts in loyalty can make a big difference in the polls. From that perspective, the independent candidates did pretty well.
The big surprise for me was that independent Timothy Cahill was able to stand out simply by being less argumentative and giving clear and simple answers.
The main event was Gov. Deval Patrick (D-We’re Number Whatever!) vs. GOP challenger Charlie Baker (R-Blue Shirt Republicans). Treasury Secretary Tim Cahill (I-Think I Can Win) and Jill Stein (G/R-Gee Are You Still Listening?) were decidedly the undercard.
WBUR’s Martha Bebinger said the debate came down to jobs, health care and taxes, with a few barbs traded over the Big Dig.
Did you watch the debate? Who won?
Update: WBZ posted the video.