Brewer: No more debates - period
September 3rd, 2010 . by TexasFredBrewer: No more debates - period
PHOENIX - Arizona voters won’t be seeing any more debates between the top gubernatorial contenders.
Incumbent Republican Jan Brewer said Thursday she has no intention of participating in any more events with Democrat Terry Goddard. She said the only reason she debated him on Wednesday is she had to to qualify for more than $1.7 million in public funds for her campaign.
“I certainly will take my message in a different venue out to the people of Arizona,” she said.
Brewer said she has been in elective office for 28 years, and Goddard has held office for nearly that long. “I think it’s pretty defined what he stands for and what I stand for.”
Anyway, Brewer said, she believes the debates help Goddard more than they benefit her.
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Brewer: No more debates - period
No MORE debates? Shoot, here in Texas we’d just like to see the Governor and his opposition in the same room. That would be a REAL happening. 
“Why would I want to give Terry a chance to redefine himself?” she said.
Brewer conceded that her performance in Wednesday’s debate, and her refusal to answer a question from reporters afterward, was not well-handled. That includes an opening statement when she lost her train of thought and went silent, and walking away after the event rather than answering questions about her prior statements about headless bodies in the desert.
Ya know, I like the GUTS I have seen Jan Brewer exhibit recently. Standing against the Feds and signing AZ SB 1070 into law was a great move, and a lot of people hold her in high regard for that action. I am one of those people. So, don’t think I’m going to blast Brewer for this less than stellar debate, because I’m not. But to NOT debate in the future is just silly.
Here’s a thought for Brewer and her campaign staff to ponder, if you’re going to debate, prepare yourself for all eventualities. Past that, be ready to think, and ACT on your feet. If that’s the best Brewer has in the debate department, I don’t know how she got elected in the 1st place.
Brewer blamed part of her post-debate activities on her gaffe in her opening statement. The governor also said she presumed reporters would want to talk to her about some of the issues raised during the hour-long, televised debate.
“All you guys were doing and talking were beheadings, beheadings, beheadings,” the governor said. “That is something that has stuck with you all for so long, and I just felt we needed to move on.”
As I said, I believe Jan Brewer to be a gutsy lady, but I have to wonder about her ability to lead from the front. You don’t make a rash statement about beheadings without having some hard and irrefutable facts to back your words. How can she possibly even think that the media wouldn’t be all over her for it?
And her opponent? Why…he’d be a fool if he didn’t use it!
Goddard responded that it is actually Brewer scaring off tourists with comments about headless bodies being found in the desert, for which there is no supporting evidence.
Brewer insisted later that she has been misquoted. “I never said ‘Arizona,’ and it’s unfortunate that it was construed as ‘Arizona.’ “
No, what’s unfortunate Gov. Brewer is the fact that YOU said ‘desert’, and not MEXICAN desert. Words have consequences, and the wrong words can follow you forever. I know that for a fact.
Goddard, in a prepared statement, did not agree with Brewer’s decision to avoid future debates.
“It is our responsibility to give Arizonans clear information that will allow them to exercise their fundamental right to make an informed decision about who should lead our state into the future,” his statement said. “Arizonans deserve more than a single discussion of the issues we face.”
Avoid future debates…
At least Arizona HAD a debate. It may not have gone well, but they had a debate anyway. That’s a lot more than I can say for Texas and OUR Governor. Just sayin’… Happy Trails! 
Performing well in a debate comes in a distant second to performing well against both Mexican criminals who enter her state illegally and standing up against a rogue federal government that is trying to undermine this country.
IMHO.
James — Agreed, but, in her position, she needs to do ALL things well, and IMO, better preparation would have helped her greatly…
I have to wonder if that isn’t a *staff* problem…
Doc — Interesting, I have not heard that before. I hope you’ll keep us updated if you get anything solid on it…
The last thing I look at is a “blow hard eloquent polished politician”.
Gov. Brewer is true blue, and NOT a blowhard.
Good for her.
I will vote for her if given a chance.
Nothing more needs to be said!
When a governor of a state that’s known for being a desert says there are headless bodies in the desert, people are naturally going to put 1+1 together and come up with Arizona.
I like Gov Brewer as she has guts to do what’s right. Politicians always come up with the right answers and say the right things but leaders just forge ahead and lead. Speeches and debates are nice to listen to but I go by their actions. That’s why I’ll never trust John McCain. His speeches sound great but his actions betray his words.
You’re right, Fred. She does need to do everything right. But only because she’s a Republican/conservative.
James — Indeed… If she was a Dem, we’d ALL expect slip-shod BS, but we Conservatives seem to expect a lot more from OUR folks!
The only thing moderate about Brewer was the fact she didn’t tell Obama to stuff it when SB1070 was dragged into court. She’s been a true conservative her entire time on politics - which, in itself, is a problem with a different saddle. She’s kinda stacking up to be a career pol, but I’d rather have her in charge of the state than Terry “Illegals Are Our Friends” Goddard.
Yep if she were VP or something this would be laughed away and forgotten quickly. I guess it’s a standards thing. The standard for Conservatives is very high, a liberal/progressive is so enlightened that the bar is set low, that way they FEEL good if the reach it..
Fact is Brewer screwed up, the headless bodies in the desert is basically all her opponent has. So he’ll beat it to death in the media and liberal “JournaLISTS” will abuse it hoping to derail what has become AMERICA’S Governor.
Just like a few other politicians in my mind. I look past a few mistakes, when there is enough check marks in their GOOD column. Brewer has a slew of GOOD marks. The mark of a good leader is to learn from the mistakes and do better next chance they get. Running away from debates after a bad performance is the WRONG move. And if that’s her choice that’s 2 BAD in the column IMO.
She’s not my Governor, but she will cost Conservatives plenty if she does as she plans with regards to debating her rival. She’s on FIRM ground, if she doesn’t believe it then she’s in the wrong business.
Shame she didn’t have some photos of those headless bodies. Had she, she could have handed them to the press and told them to shut the f..k up.
You know, she may have been wrong about the headless bodies in Arizona at the present time but they’ll start turning up eventually.
Politically, if you are in a “position of power” you can afford to not debate. She thusly perceives herself to BE in a position of power. If she has misjudged, then she has helped to cut off her own head. People generally like to see an active debate on issues. Unless you’re markedly not as sharp as the next guy, and you don’t play well in public.
BZ
I also think that she has shown incredible courage and leadership by standing up to the federal goverment, I admire her for that, but after having stumbled in her debate she should be willing to debate more in order to try to prove to her people that she just had a bad day. By not debating again she looks as if she is ducking her opponent. I know this probably isn’t the case, but that is how it will be perceived and played in the media.