Hi all, Mrs. Editor here. I’m going to provide a little color commentary on the debates last night. Jean wore a 2 piece long sleeve red suit with little black pumps. Paul wore a navy blazer, olive slacks, that French blue shirt and dark red striped tie. At the risk of repeating myself Mr. Hackett was looking pretty darned cute. I would like the record to show that I heard phrases such as “He’s a looker” “I didn’t know he was handsome”, “cutie patootie”, a slurping noise (it wasn’t me….honest) and other sounds of feminine appreciation from 10 or 12 other women in my section and 4 of them were definitely enjoying their golden years.

I am also dubbing my section of the seats (rows 3 through 6 in front of Schmidt) as the Amen Choir. While we were strictly prohibited from moving, getting out our seats, showing any support or disrupting the event in any way shape or form the amen choir moaned, gasped, hissed, giggled, and whispered just barely able to contain themselves.

I include myself in this as there were a few times it was all I could do to keep myself seated (when Paul said “if your faith does not condone abortion fine, I support that…don’t have one” I wanted to stomp my feet and holler ‘PREACH Brother!’). And when Paul said something about keeping the government out of his wife’s doctors office and his gun case, several heads were nodding but the elderly man at the end of my row slapped his knee and balled his fist up like he was gonna stand up and shout. Definitely the makings of a Sunday morning service. Speaking of church, Mr. Hackett…..Paul….baby….if you are going to quote the word (which I LOVED)…please know which verse you are talking about. You can’t get up there and talk about that one verse somewhere in that one book you read once that went alittle something like this….

I can’t imagine anyone who was there looking at Jean Schmidt and Paul Hackett not thinking this guy has what it takes to get the job done. Where Schmidt was sing songy and mollifying; Hackett was laying it on the line balls out honest (if not abit too loud). From the opening statement Schmidt was almost grandmotherly in her approach. Painful pauses and sighs. ‘The tragedy in London, we’ll say a prayer and stay the course’. As much as this rubber stamp mantra irks me she really never comes out and says anything that you didn’t hear from President Bush during his 3 debates with Kerry. I mean the whole planting the seeds of democracy and watching them grow BS. Peter, Paul and Mary do they even have running water over there yet? This is not the set of Father Knows Best.

We have got a real problem. Our Husbands and sons (wives too) are over there dying everyday. Iraqi civilian’s numbers are even worse. Soft pretty words are not going to help. What the hell are you going to do? Can you speak your own mind? Will you stand up for the people living in the 2nd district? Sorry ladybug, the Rubber stamp label fits.

The only time she seemed remotely in it was when she spoke on her energy plan and using ethanol. Then she stepped up to the plate with substance. I don’t know anything about ethanol or soy or corn or tobacco…or farming but it sounded like it was worth learning more about. Then she stuck her foot in her mouth big time when she suggested another benefit of it would be to Mega farms that would then bring more jobs to the district. The gasp and groans and even boos would not be held in. You could tell who the republicans were because their heads just dropped. A very bad thing to say to folks who have been farming for generations. Republicans would drop their heads a few more times by the end of the night.

I will let the professionals go over the grit of the debate because…well because I talk too much and this would be the longest blog entry in the world. Plus to me the best part was the after the debate. It was simply fascinating watching everyone react to this event.

Let’s keep it real…I was watching everyone react to Paul. He is in his element one on one. A lot of republicans really struggled. He impressed them and that must have been a very uncomfortable feeling. It was a lot like watching the kids at the jr high dance. The boys warily watching the girls-both wanting to kiss them and punch them in the arm at the same time. “Fiscal responsibility”…”Make a plan and fund it”….”stop wasting money”…”Set the example of democracy”….”Lead, follow or get the hell out the way.” As Larry the Cable guy would say” I don’t care who you are that’s some good shit right there.” They really wanted to hate him…but damn he was making so much sense. Some of them were honest enough to come shake his hand and admit while they probably wouldn’t vote for him they were impressed.

More intriguing were the few that came up to him truly in turmoil. One older gentleman confessed to being a lifetime republican but didn’t think he could in good consciousness vote for Mrs. Schmidt. He liked what he saw in Paul and was so truly considering vote for him. (I am paraphrasing what I heard) What got me was the distress in the man’s eyes. I know doing the right thing isn’t always easy but don’t you vote for the best person for the job, in your best interest?? Democrat/Republican is irrelevant. I don’t believe anyone is all or nothing of anything. But that’s neither here nor there the thing is, this man was stressed as if his salvation depended on this vote. He wasn’t alone. A lot of other people watched Paul. (Note: lots of men in suits watching every move) I saw three people come over and say they would be voting democratic for the first time in generations. One father/ son duo came up to Paul and the son shook his hand and commended him on talking common sense. The father was leery but shook Paul’s hand after he insisted but clearly would rather not.

An older vet came up to Paul visibly shaken up. He said he was proud of Paul and just disgusted at how the government was making a mess of this Iraq thing. They had an exchange I couldn’t hear but the man’s eyes welled up and so did Paul’s. They experienced something most of us by the grace of God, never will. Paul put his arms around the older man shoulders and shook him like only men do. They were a little embarrassed and reminded of things neither of them wanted to dwell on. It was really touching to watch.

The young wiper snapper who came up to challenge Paul on social security was also fun. ‘If they want you to manage your own social security money why don’t the let you pay your own taxes? There is a reason uncle Sam takes his money before you get yours.’ He made the young man think even if he wasn’t convinced.

Oh I could go on and on. The point is Hackett showed me is in this thing to win. Compared to Jean Schmidt….well there is no comparison. If they see him they will come. He’s got to get his face out there, get his voice to the masses. There is real hope and it is very exciting to watch in action.