When you hear the name Liberty University, what are the first thoughts that pop into your head? Mine are fundamentalist, Jerry Falwell, right-wing conservative, closed minded, and the list could go on and on from there.So the news should come as no surprise that Jerry Kilgore had hired Brett M. O'Donnell, the debate coach of Liberty University, to help prepare him for his last debate with Kaine at the Greenbrier on July 16. According to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), Kilgore paid O'Donnell and the company he owns, O'Donnell and Associates, $3,000 in June of 2005 as a "consultant." Interestingly, the Kilgore campaign had "no comment" on O'Donnell, or on Jerry's need for a debate coach.
O'Donnell's specialty appears to be preparing right wing conservatives to debate their (often) much more competent debate opponents. Last we heard from him, he had been hired by Karl "Leaker" Rove to help President Bush and Vice President Cheney prepare for their debates with John Kerry and John Edwards in the fall of 2004.
Despite O'Donnell's efforts, the Gallup polling organization showed that Kerry won the first debate (9/30) by a 53%-37% margin, the second debate (10/8) 47%-45%, and the third debate (10/13) 52%-39%. Cheney and Edwards appear to have fought to a draw, with polls differing on who "won." So, whatever O'Donnell did, it didn't make any obvious difference. Certainly, anyone who watched the debates could see that Bush's speaking ability hadn't improved significantly from 2000. Unless you consider the phrase, "You forgot Poland!", to be a killer debating line. Still, Karl Rove boasted that O?Donnell?s ?hard work and preparation for the debates sent the President into the final stretch of the campaign with a wind at his back.?
Part of that "hard work and preparation" was making sure that Bush would never ever ever! have to go mano a mano with Kerry. As O'Donnell later explained, "one of the things that I fought very strenuously for was the rule that there be no direct examination between the candidates." According to O'Donnell, he was worried that such an exchange with Kerry ("a strong debater") "would destroy the persona the president has."
In other words, Bush was terrified of Kerry asking him direct, difficult, and pointed questions. Sound familiar? It should, because it's the same thing with Jerry "the Duck" Kilgore, the guy who "always has and always will" do whatever he can to avoid appearing live, in front of all the voters of Virginia, with his two opponents - Tim Kaine and Russ Potts. Can you imagine what those two guys would do to Kilgore, debate coach or no debate coach? No wonder why Jerry is ducking.
By the way, it should also be noted that Tim Kaine used one stand-in (and NO coach) to practice for his debate with Jerry Kilgore. Apparently, this wasn't enough for Kilgore, who used both a debate coach (O'Donnell) and two stand-ins, a personal injury lawyer and a campaign aide. Does this mean that Kaine is twice the man Kilgore is, or just twice as scared?
Anway, whoever Kilgore's coach or stand-ins are, let's just hope there will be some more debates, preferably in VIRGINIA this time, and preferably at a time when people might actually be able to see and hear the thing! Let's also hope that we don't hear the line, "Always have, always will" ever again. Or anything to do with Poland, the "internets," "trusting the people," or a "cesspool of corruption." Perhaps, instead, we might hear Jerry Kilgore explain to us what the credo of Liberty University means to him, and how it influences his politics:
An uncompromising doctrinal statement, based upon an inerrant Bible, a Christian worldview beginning with belief in biblical Creationism, an eschatological belief in the pre-millennial, pre-tribulational coming of Christ for all of His Church, dedication to world evangelization, an absolute repudiation of ?political correctness,? a strong commitment to political conservatism, total rejection of socialism, and firm support for America?s economic system of free enterprise.