Butte, Montana Live Debate Blog, Part 3

Question 10: Logjam on pine beetles.

Tester: Need better leadership.

Burns: We passed the Healthy Forests Initiative. His supporters stop harvesting of trees, get blocked every time. It takes a 39 cent stamp to stop the whole thing, these radical groups. Burns sounds positively frantic on this point. Now he starts ranting about Schumer and gun control…positively out of control.

Tester: Burns labels and divides–excellent.

Closing Statements

Tester: (audio fading) Senator Burns cannot beat this guy–he can’t beat the real person who is running in this race. Burns is trying to make him look like someone else to try to win. We need better leadership.

Burns: Attacks Tester…has anyone thought of the consequences of losing the war on terror? Goes back to the talking point, because he has nothing positive to say? Cut and run! Fear! Fear! Cut and run! World Trade! Fear! Cut and Run! (Gosh, those twelve Burns supporters sure were rude to be cheering like that.)

General Assessment: This was Tester’s best, and Burns’ worst performance. Tester was much stronger throughout, and Burns sounded shrill and off-message. This was a clear win for Tester–more thoughts later.

Update: Jay did some real live blogging, at the scene.

Article by Don Pogreba

Don is from Shelby, MT (Go Coyotes!) and has lived in Montana his whole life. He teaches English and Debate in Helena, MT, and does most of his writing far too late at night.