Posted on 10/22/2004 9:45:56 AM PDT by outlawcam
A wild U.S. Senate debate spilled into living rooms Thursday night as Republican Alan Keyes and Democrat Barack Obama rocked each other with blistering attacks on religious faith, crime, gun control, abortion and sex education.
In a bid to jolt his long-shot candidacy, Keyes excoriated Obama for coddling gang members, proposing kindergartners learn about sex and using his faith disingenuously to get votes.
The choice of topics meant Obama, who holds a 40-percentage-point lead in polls, often found himself on the defensive during the hour-long debate on WLS-TV, Channel 7. But Obama did rip Keyes for being a too-preachy name-caller who opposes all gun control measures.
The spirited exchange on spiritual issues was a marked contrast from last week's sleepy debut debate held in Springfield.
Keyes challenged Christian voters throughout Illinois not to leave their faith behind on Election Day, arguing that Obama's support of abortion rights and gay rights goes against the teachings of the Bible.
"When it really comes down to it, though Mr. Obama professes faith when it's convenient to get votes, at the hard points where that faith must be followed ... he then pleads separation of church and state," charged Keyes, a Roman Catholic.
Obama replied that he wasn't running to be "minister of Illinois," but its senator.
"I don't need Mr. Keyes lecturing me about Christianity. That's why I have a pastor," said Obama, who attends a United Church of Christ. "And I don't think any of you are particularly interested in having Mr. Keyes lecture you about your faith."
When the abortion issue came up, Obama said it's unfortunate Keyes "calls folks names" and compares abortion rights to Nazism and promoting a slaveholder position where life is not valued.
Responded Keyes: "I don't call people names. I make arguments. And in point of fact, it is the slaveholder's position."
Keyes tried to paint Obama as soft on crime while Obama tried to portray Keyes as a gun zealot.
Keyes blasted Obama for voting against laws to give gang members who kill prison guards the death penalty and to allow police with search warrants to avoid knocking before executing drug raids.
Obama denied that he was soft on crime, pointing to 150 anti-crime measures he supported as a state lawmaker and his endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police.
In return, Obama said Keyes "doesn't believe in any limits that I can tell with respect to the possession of guns," including the assault weapons ban that expired last month.
Keyes called that ban "a fiction" because violent criminals still could get similar weapons. "The gun control mentality is ruthlessly absurd," Keyes added.
The candidates got to ask each other one question and Keyes wanted to know why Obama once supported a measure to allow kindergartners to get sex education but opposed mandatory anti-pornography filters for schools and libraries.
"Do you think in the first and second grade we ought to be teaching from books like 'Heather Has Two Mommies'?" Keyes asked.
Obama said the legislation, which went nowhere in the state Senate, only would have included age-appropriate instruction to avoid, for example, having children become victims of sexual abuse. Obama said he voted against Internet filters in schools because they prevented students from getting information on topics like breast cancer.
Obama asked Keyes why he wants to repeal the 17th Amendment, which gives people the right to vote for U.S. senators instead of state legislatures. Keyes told Obama, a civil rights lawyer, he was "ignorant" of the Constitution.
Early in the debate, Obama seemed a bit flustered, hesitating with several "uh"s during his responses. At the end, Obama said he was offended that Keyes claimed to be "more authentically African-American" than him. But Keyes did not bring up such a point.
Both during and after the debate Keyes lectured the media for distorting his candidacy, a tactic he employed during his failed 2000 presidential bid. Obama accused Keyes of purposely distoring his record.
Keyes and Obama will face off for the third and final time at 7 p.m. Tuesday on WTTW-TV, Channel 11.
Not perfect, but an improvement, wouldn't you agree?
Fire and Brimstone...so are they saying that Keyes is on fire and that Obama is stinky?
Better, but still hardly reporting that would give the uninformed reader a true sense of the debate.
I swear they attended a different debate than the one I saw.
I hate the media filter...
To put it more bluntly:
I hate the media!
Have the debate on Tivo and am just about to show to a few friends. Alan was tremendous! If President Bush used his 90 second response to the Iraq question, he would be a shoo-in.
Alan has done a better job defending the Administration's foreign policy than anyone I've seen.
I know. I wish these types of articles would tell people that they can download an mp3 of the debate from renewamerica.com. However, I was pleased that they called Obama on his faux sensitivity to being labled "not black enough." When he said that, I could only presume he took offense to Keyes' mention of "heritage" instead of "race" and filled in the blanks himself, but Keyes made no mention of Obama's race or heritage throughout the debate.
Amen to that.
Keyes, Obama face off on faith, fundamentals
Panel of local journalists questions candidates on abortion, gun control during first hour-long televised debate
By Shira Toeplitz
October 22, 2004
CHICAGO -- U.S. Senate candidates Barack Obama and Alan Keyes clashed with energy Thursday night in a debate that focused on local legislative issues and personal faith.
ABC-7 news anchor Ron Magers moderated the debate, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Illinois and a panel of three local journalists questioned the candidates. The candidates also had the opportunity to ask each other one question.
Abortion featured prominently as a differentiating issue between the candidates. Republican candidate Keyes is against abortion in all cases. Keyes also quoted statistics on disproportionately high rates of abortion among African American women.
"(Abortion) has killed 13 million black babies since Roe v. Wade," said Keyes. "(That's) 25 percent of the black population today."
When asked about how faith played into his life, Obama said it plays a role in his decisions, but he does not want to impose it on the state.
"I'm not running to be the minister of Illinois," Obama said. "I'm running to be the senator of Illinois."
The panel of journalists also focused on gun control, in particular referring to Obama's voting record in the Illinois State Senate. Obama referred to the recent expiration of the assault weapon ban in the U.S. Congress and his continued support for gun control.
"It helps when they don't have an assault weapon with them when they shoot into that crowd," Obama said.
Keyes said he wanted to ensure that citizens have the right to defend themselves.
"Law abiding citizens should have a right to bear arms," he said.
When the time came halfway through the debate to question each other, Keyes asked Obama about sex education in schools. Then Obama questioned Keyes about his support of repealing the 17th amendment, which lets voters elect their senators.
Outside on State Street, Keyes and Obama supporters chanted "Obamanation" and "Take your Keyes and leave" and waved signs in favor of their preferred candidate.
Emily Koches, a Weinberg sophomore who has worked on the Obama campaign for the past year, said she thought Obama remained calm throughout the debate.
"It's always interesting," Koches said. "But I think Obama did a good job and that's the important part. What's really amazing is that he was able to remain composed in the face of Alan Keyes and his ridiculous opinions."
Koches said at times Keyes used his faith to avoid answering questions.
"Alan Keyes only has a few issues that he can talk about with authority," Koches said. "I think the way he used faith (in the debate) is inappropriate. He uses it as a way to avoid any issue he doesn't want to talk about."
Weinberg senior and Keyes supporter James Gelfand said Keyes talked about his faith because he was addressing the causes of problems addressing Illinois voters.
"They both talked about faith," Gelfand said. "Keyes wanted to talk about causes instead of throwing money at the consequences."
Gelfand was very happy with Keyes' performance at the debate.
"I think Keyes completely destroyed Obama on the war on terror, gun rights, Obama's atrocious voting record, abortion, the death penalty and homosexual marriage," Gelfand said. "In the next debate he needs to perform just as he did tonight."
The debate was broadcast live from the ABC-7 studios on State Street. The City Club of Chicago will host the final televised debate live on WTTV-11 at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26.
Reach Shira Toeplitz at s-toeplitz@northwestern.edu.
Actually while I was reading this article, I thought it was incredibly fair. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the debates, but from what EV says about it, and knowing what we know about the liberal media, Keyes probably killed Obama...and since the media is bound by their liberal bias to Obama, they tanked, and had no choice but to be fair.
"They both talked about faith," Gelfand said. "Keyes wanted to talk about causes instead of throwing money at the consequences."
Gelfand was very happy with Keyes' performance at the debate.
"I think Keyes completely destroyed Obama on the war on terror, gun rights, Obama's atrocious voting record, abortion, the death penalty and homosexual marriage," Gelfand said. "In the next debate he needs to perform just as he did tonight."
Great job!
One of the huge sins of omission in this piece is that the reporter doesn't report one of the strongest points that Alan made several times: the fact that abortion kills blacks disproportionately, and that the vast majority of abortion clinics are located in minority communities.
Margaret Sanger would be proud...
Excellent points, indeed. I was thinking that only a truly committed baby-murder supporter would *not* be affected by such facts.
Stayed up til 1:00 AM to watch the re-run on C-Span last night. It was worth every minute. Keyes is a one-man debating machine. He handled Obama and all the biased news media inquisitors with an easy aplomb that was amazing to behold. The man truly has a gift. I'm praying that it translates into votes in Illinois. Miracles do happen.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.