Believe it or not, debate season isn’t QUITE over yet. While Mitt Romney and Barack Obama were entering the campaign home stretch, four third-party candidates met Tuesday night in Chicago for a debate (aired by RT America and Al Jazeera English) that was moderated by the always-moderate Larry King. Contestants — er, candidates — included former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (Libertarian), Dr. Jill Stein (Green Party), former Virginia congressman Virgil Goode (Constitution Party) and former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson (Justice Party).
In a supreme feat of irony, even this debate couldn’t avoid candidates kvetching about their non-inclusion.
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Even without Roseanne, things got off to a strong start. Anderson seemed practiced in debate jiu-jitsu and knew how to change the subject. He blasted both Romney and Obama over military spending and oil — even though neither subject was part of the question.
Rocky Anderson seems legit. Uhp. No. Just got off topic… :-/ #thirdpartydebates
— Gina Luttrell (@DesignByGina_) October 24, 2012
Johnson scored the first zinger.
Gary Johnson: I think candidates should have to wear NASCAR like jackets that show their sponsors. #ThirdPartyDebates
— UPI Next (@UPI_Next) October 24, 2012
At this point, the moderators realized that they forgot to allow opening statements and decided to go back for a do-over. This confused everyone, including the candidates.
https://twitter.com/bonnyjk/status/260914856411148288
Lets close w/opening remarks! I mean lets open w/closing remarks, I mean who wants to talk now? #CSPAN2012 #ThirdPartyDebate
— Nick of the Hart Family (@NickHartInc) October 24, 2012
Jill Stein got the first not-opening statement.
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Jill Stein says Americans should have a choice not bought and paid for by Wall St. #thirdpartydebate
— Rob Shock (@robshock) October 24, 2012
Anderson got another shot to show off his oratory skills:
According to Rocky Anderson, the government is "sound asleep" and also rounding up citizens. So… sleepwalking? #thirdpartydebate
— CC:Indecision (@indecision) October 24, 2012
Then came Goode — who got little applause for his right-of-right Constitution Party pitch.
https://twitter.com/jakeszetelaWFM/status/260916535151976448
While the audience may not have been fond of him, Twitter was. Goode’s thick Virginia drawl lit a tweetstorm that seemed to drive more traffic than any issue mentioned.
https://twitter.com/DatSupermerk/status/260916648444325888
That distinctive accent of Virgil Goode's? It's called a "Tidewater accent": http://t.co/INLX1AH0 #NowThatsADebate #election2012
— Al Jazeera News (@AJENews) October 24, 2012
¿Dónde habrá estacionado Virgil Goode su caballo? ¡Qué gran acento! #NowThatsADebate
— Ricardo Avelar (@docAvelar) October 24, 2012
Johnson had the crowd on his side and was beating the drums on his main issues.
"Let's end the drug wars; legalize marijuana now; let's repeal the Patriot Act." – Gary Johnson http://t.co/27CjOfSS
— RT America (@RT_America) October 24, 2012
Goode won the First to Get Booed award.
lmao, Virgil Goode is getting booed. He supports the war on drugs, wants to cut planned parenthood.
— tinybaby (@tinybaby) October 24, 2012
Johnson fired back by claiming that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol — based on personal experience with both.
"I am not a hypocrite on this issue. I have drank alcohol, I have smoked marijuana." – Gary Johnson just now in this debate
— Amanda Lucci (@alucci) October 24, 2012
Nobody on stage was pro-drone. In fact, the isolationism was so strong among all of them that Moderator King was displeased.
https://twitter.com/Regssarian/status/260921896328130561
All four also came out against the National Defense Authorization Act.
#NowThatsADebate #thirdpartydebate Even Virgil Goode wouldn't have signed NDAA!
— Social Distortioning (@TheDiscourse187) October 24, 2012
https://twitter.com/declanm/status/260925831050833920
On college tuition, however, there was no such agreement.
Jill Stein: It’s time to make higher public education free, as it should be. #thirdpartydebate
— CompareMyCandidates (@mycandidates) October 24, 2012
https://twitter.com/OddLane/status/260922856840515584
https://twitter.com/aimeemcooper/status/260923414708117504
The evening finished off with a question about how each would amend the constitution.
Rocky Anderson would write an "equal rights amendment" guaranteeing rights for all sexual orientations. #thirdpartydebate
— Rob Shock (@robshock) October 24, 2012
Surprised Virgil Goode's proposed amendment is "term limits", not "balanced budget." #ThirdPartyDebate #hashtag
— #BlackLivesMatter, Dammit! (@HeAintReally) October 24, 2012
Gary Johnson's constitutional amendment would be also term limits. #thirdpartydebate
— Rob Shock (@robshock) October 24, 2012
Jill Stein wants to overturn Citizens United. #debate Corporations have stolen our right of personhood, she says.
— I write code (@McMillanSean) October 24, 2012
And with that, the madness mercifully came to an end. Who won? Well, Anderson and Johnson may have been the best speakers — but Goode was the one trending on Twitter.
Virgil Goode just spoke about himself in the third person, in a third party, and that is funny to me right now. #nowthatsadebate
— erinSCIF for America (@erinscafe) October 24, 2012
https://twitter.com/RandyHauser/status/260928365651963906
https://twitter.com/JSpeth18/status/260929157272313856
Virgil Goode Is Country As Fuck. No U Can't Be Prez…..
— Mr. Nice Guy (@SleepyWhite63) October 24, 2012
"The person who asked a question on the internet is not gonna like it." – Simple Country Hyper-Chicken Virgil Goode #ThirdPartyDebate
— BooDoo (@BooDooPerson) October 24, 2012
Virgil Goode is a straight up country guy lol
— Cheeto (@Francisco_Jr93) October 24, 2012
The prize: A jug of moonshine. RT @bdomenech: Virgil Goode's accent won the #thirdpartydebate.
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) October 24, 2012
The secret to being a winning third-party candidate: Have a Goode accent.
And there may be another chance to hear it!
https://twitter.com/declanm/status/260931698202652675
Vote now, y’all!
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