Politics: Morris won the debate (UPDATE with correction)
WCBU News Director Jonathan Ahl has his reactions to the debate he moderated Thursday (here and here). He prods C.J. and myself to hurry and and post our reactions.
NOTE: The debate, broadcast on WCBU can be heard here: HERE. John Morris, Aaron Schock and Jim McConoughey faced off on the Peoria City Council chamber floor. All three seek to replace Ray LaHood, who is retiring as Congressman from the 18th District.
I’m sorry it took so long, but I was trying to think up a decent way to phrase this question: “Jonathan, what the HELL were you thinking asking these guys about their position on trade with Canada? I’m going to go out on a limb and say they are in favor of it. And it’s not that you asked just one question about trade with Canada, you asked a follow up question asking if they would ever support Canada’s position in a trade dispute, since they are such close friends.”
I understand the value of asking a question no one expects. But this one was kinda out of left field. I suppose the question COULD have generated real news, if one of the candidates used it as an opportunity to propose arming Quebec with nuclear missiles. But this debate was intended to help voters figure out who they want to be their Congressman, and an off the wall question about supporting trade with Canada might not have been a good choice.
Nevertheless, I have to hand it to questioner Mike Bailey for asking the most inane question of the night. The editor of the Journal Star’s opinion page took a dig at all three candidates for their pro-family stances by implying that being tough on illegal immigration was akin to being anti-Christian. Because, as Bailey put it, couldn’t Mary, Joseph and Jesus be considered the equivalents of illegal aliens? Um, no. Neither were they homeless. They were travelers, which is different. I’ll leave it to those with more knowledge of the Bible to explain further.
I gave Aaron Schock grief for his original plan to skip the debate because he was needed in Springfield for an emergency session. Jonathan says Schock was in a no-win situation because he would have been criticized for not attending the session. Exactly WHO would have criticized him? The Democrats? There were MANY Dems who skipped out, as there were many GOPers, because NO action was being planned by anyone. Most voters assume that someone running for a seat in the Congress of the United States just might have to take a day off work once in a while. His opponents couldn’t criticize him for attending, since they were standing right next to him.
So, I’m not going to apologize for giving him grief for his original plan to skip out, nor give him credit for showing up in the end. He’s running for Congress, he BETTER show up. And in the end, he did get quite a bit of criticism for his positions. I found Morris’ condemnation of Schock’s now-retracted position on arming Taiwan to be especially effective. Morris pointed out the folly of the policy, and made a point that members of Congress as seem as America’s leaders by the rest of the world, and that they have a responsibility to not use words that destabilize. Jim McConoughey also laid in a bit.
I really did appreciate the discussion on “exporting” Democracy. I’m glad that all three seemed to show a bit of maturity on the subject, with the realization that the United States can’t just reach out and pluck out world leaders it doesn’t like and replace them with those we do like. Also, I seemed to hear a reluctance to use trade as a weapon, except in the sense that free trade tends to encourage Democracy. I’m 100 percent in agreement with Morris that freedom is something every group of people in the world is capable of enjoying.
Who won the debate? Morris. Hands down. He was the better communicator. He was the most knowledgeable, and the most capable of thinking on his feet (as Jonathan learned). I cannot imagine anyone unfamiliar with the players listening to this debate and thinking that’s it’s Shock who’s the front-runner and not Morris.
Schock surprised me by out communicating Jim McConoughey, who made a couple of factual gaffes (saying Turkey is the only predominately Muslim nation to recognize Israel). I am willing to give Schock the benefit of the doubt in that he meant to say that we got rid of the Shah of Iran only to get the Ayatollah Khomeini, and not that Khomeini STILL runs Iran.
But in the end Morris won because he benefited most. Of the three, he’s the only one I think is likely to have picked up votes from the undecided. Schock didn’t screw up, which is a positive result if one really is the front runner. But McConoughey did nothing to break out of the pack, and with the primary election a month away, he’s going to have to do something.
The next debate will be televised live on WEEK from 7-8 p.m. on Jan. 14.
CORRECTION: The NEXT debate will be on WMBD-31 from 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10. My apologies.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
In a 90 minute debate about foreign policy, I think one question and a follow up about the US’s biggest trading partner, with whom we share the biggest border was appropriate.
Trade with Canada is responsible for more than 230,000 jobs in Illinois. I think that’s worth a question or two.
But point taken, as it isn’t sexy to ask about such things.
Anyone but Schock! Would really like to see a strong Democrat in the race, but we have what we have.
“The next debate will be televised live on WEEK from 7-8 p.m. on Jan. 14.”
I have a request. Can you please make the above referenced statement on your blog again on January 14? Pretty please. My memory is in the crapper.
If the test was who benefitted most, and by remaining in the pack, Morris benefitted most, then I’ll go along.
But I can’t get past Morris giving the same shallow answers. There’s just no depth there. It’s all, I’m conservative and I love Reagan with all the subtle style of a piano-bar entertainer.
I strongly disagree with you Rayfan. To say that Morris’s answers were shallow is to say that the other two candidates have no depth at all. What was so in depth about the others answers and shallow about Morris’s. If you want to say they are all shallow that’s another thing. Talk about shallow, anybody see some of the comments from last night’s NH debates?!
I think Morris had much more depth in his answers than the others.
By the way, Did Schock have permission to use Ray’s name at the debate?
I thought Morris was the best at the debate too. Schock was second and McConoguhey was a distant third. Somebody needed to tell him to sit closer to the mic too. At times I could not hear him. Anybody else think he sounded a bit like Kip from Napoleon Dynamite? (Not a knock…just an observation…Kip’s my favorite character from that film.)
Even though McConoughey made some factual errors, I must say that he sounded the most human of the bunch. For much of the debate, Morris and Schock sounded like mindless automatons spouting the Republican Party line. No originality. Nothing out of the ordinary. Blah, blah, blah … business as usual in Washington.
I realize that John Morris ALWAYS sounds like he’s reciting from a script for a political ad, but it gets kinda old. He really needs to break out of that mold if he’s going to draw voters away from Schock.
“I have to hand it to questioner Mike Bailey for asking the most inane question of the night. The editor of the Journal Star’s opinion page took a dig at all three candidates for their pro-family stances by implying that being tough on illegal immigration was akin to being anti-Christian”
I’ll take a guess and say he either did half his reading or the question came out of his mouth wrong: Many denominations have come out stating, in various ways, that harsh anti-illegal-immigrant measures are un-Christian and that Christians have a responsibility to support illegal immigrants, especially because so many are very poor. That’s probably what he was aiming at.
There is a live debate on WMBD this Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
Morris won the debate by a long shot. Schock came in a distant second. The other guy might as well have stayed home.
You know, Schock seems like a nice young kid, but he does not have what it takes to serve in Congress. Being in Congress is a job for grown-ups. Morris has my vote.
Mac sounded like Kip…that was hilarious. He certainly didn’t sound too great as I was listening, but the Kip comparison is classic and dead on. Too bad for him, I thought he would be better prepared.
Morris is the family values, white picket fence & apple pie candidate. McConoughey is the pro-business candidate. What exactly does Schock stand for other than rabid personal ambition?
What does it matter, when they all are pro-Israel supporters?
John Morris is the best man for the job of serving as our Congressman. He has the experience, values, and maturity to represent the people of Central Illinois. He’s up-front and honest about his views and positions, which are readily available at his website (votejohnmorris.com). Mr. Schock’s views are a mystery… his website has a page “Stand on Issues”, but he doesn’t address any issues. Instead, he rambles on about why he thinks he’s the best candidate. His public statements are evident of his inexperience and grasp of the real issues facing us today. He’s just not ready yet.
Mr. Schock’s a nice kid, and he’s done some nice things, but serving on the school board doesn’t qualify him for the U.S. Congress. True, he won the race for State Representative, but it was mainly due to his lack of real competition, not his own strengths.
In a time when it seems our political choices are simply the “lesser of the evils”, it’s refreshing to finally have a candidate deserving of the office. John Morris is the right choice.
Okay Mr. Morris Campaign Staffer,
You did a great job using the standard Morris attack on Schock. But tell me why John is a better candidate than Jim, especially given that Morris has been last (by a large margin) in every poll we’ve heard about.
“serving on the school board doesn’t qualify him for the U.S. Congress” – kinda like serving on a do-nothing City Council
“True, he won the race for State Representative, but it was mainly due to his lack of real competition, not his own strengths.” – as much as I am not a Schock supporter, his first race, and to an extent the second as well, were hard fought campaigns. That in and of itself ( being a good campaigner) is NOT evidence of being a good congressman however.
Morris’s national securitystance, which he feels is one of his best qualities as a candidate, is weak and ignorant at best. If you are going to try to brand yourself the national security candidate then you should really work on a plan with at least a little substance.
To be honest, I feel better when these three do not act like foreign policy wonks because they aren’t. Schock has already been caught with his pants down big time with the Taiwan-nuke issue and Morris thinks he is the second coming of George Patton when it comes to security issues.
I really think voters need to take a closer look at John’s willingness to step away from his responsibility to his employer. WTVP is in dire need of assistance and is currently in the fight of its life, and John feels it necessary to take a leave of absence to pursue his own selfish political goals. Absolutely disgusting!