In fact, maybe being used to all the slick shysters in Washington, or even in and around Lansing, my personal estimation of public argumentative skills has been jaded.  Dan is simply a guy who found himself in office after the previous schmuck screwed up pretty bad. And the pain I felt for repeated exposure to that particular line, (not a politician ..) and maybe one other, was only secondary to the fact that the League of Women Voters selected specific questions placed on cards provided to the audience.  Not necessarily overtly leftist bent questions, but those which merely validated failed preconceptions as anthropogenic global warming, the need for a federal education bureaucracy(Dan actually did well on that), and the poor understanding of how medicare works.

Perhaps the questions may have highlighted the severe disappointment I had with both candidate's performance, but there is one thing that must be said about the parroting of lefty talking points of McDowall's.

If he wouldn't have had those talking points, he would have had nothing.

McDowall was reminiscent of that congressman who thought too many soldiers on one side of an island would tip the island over. His inarticulate presentation was depressing, knowing that he has previously helped craft policy in this state, and has held public office before. His debate performance was that of an illiterate.

The overall crime that this debate represented can only be trumped with an election of McDowall. insipid folks elected to office become the tools of others.  They neither represent us or are able to make reasoned decisions.  In fact, Stabenow is a perfect example of a meat puppet under control of outside interests. Water boarding has nothing on having to endure such indignant circumstances as wins by these slugs.  Watching McDowall reminded me of the suffering caused by folks like him all over this country.