Tolbert: AETN Senate Debate Was Nice Dress Rehearsal

All four U.S. Senate candidates squared off Monday in a debate hosted by AETN. It aired live online and CSPAN at 2 p.m. and on Monday evening at 8 p.m.  The crowded debate set up a nice dress rehearsal for both Sen. Mark Pryor and Cong. Tom Cotton. The two will get a better chance to go at it in the debate tomorrow on ABC affiliates across the state (KATV, 40/29 and KAIT).

A few takeaways from the AETN debate.

Cotton definitely stayed on message.  And that message is that Pryor votes with Obama 93% of the time. Democrats will point to this with criticism, but it was obvious that it is the only soundbite Cotton wanted anyone to hear from the debate. Few will watch the entire hour-and-a-half debate and even fewer undecided voters will do so. But a much larger group will watch the clips of the debate on the news and they will get a soundbite full of Cotton talking about Pryor voting with Obama. That’s pretty much guaranteed.

This was reiterated in the post-debate press release from Republicans, who of course all said Cotton clearly won.

“It is more apparent than ever that Arkansans need Tom Cotton in the U.S. Senate. For the past six years, Senator Pryor has put President Obama ahead of Arkansans, and when pressed about his failed record, he had no defense. Arkansans are ready to elect a Senator who will put Arkansas interests ahead of President Obama’s, and that’s why we will show Mark Pryor the door in November,” said Doyle Webb, chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas.

The other big takeaway was that Pryor appeared throughout the debate to be a challenger not a 12-year incumbent.  Out of the gate, Pryor began with delivering some oppo on Cotton by talking about some audio recording at a fundraiser hosted by conservatives who support Cotton. He punched hard at what he categorized as the out-of-state interest groups funding Cotton’s campaign. (No mention of the out-of-state groups funding his, such as Harry Reid’s Senate Majority PAC.)

I am glad public television hosts these debates every year.  In small races, these are the only venue that are broadcast to an audience larger than locally. And they always invite all the candidates on the ballot so it is often the only forum for third party candidates.

But look for a bit more back-and-forth in the format on Tuesday when the two candidates can take each other on more in a one-on-one format.