Allen v. Webb Debate

Virginia senatorial candidates George Allen and Jim Webb debated on Meet the Press this morning. While I wasn't overly impressed with either candidate, Jim Webb came across as pretty awful. Webb's main point on Iraq was to convene "an international conference." Great plan. He also loves to mention the fact that he served as Navy Secretary during the Reagan administration (as if that makes him a conservative).

Don't get me wrong - I love George Allen and think he came across as much more experienced than Webb, but the format and questioning made it difficult for him to really shine. When Tim Russert asks questions such as, "You voted with President Bush 96% of the time. Are you just a rubber stamp for this administration?" it becomes difficult to really get your points across well.

The most interesting take from the debate was how awful Tim Russert is as a moderator. Apart from the fact that he has name recognition and is considered by most to be a "great guy," he is one of the worst interviewers on the Sunday morning circuit.