Mike Matthews Hot Film: The 1st Delaware Governor's Race Debate

Mike Matthews posted a treat: John Carney and JacK Markell in their first debate on Channel 28.

State Rep. Dennis Williams and City Councilperson Charles Potter hosted the debate on the "Straight Talk" show on Channel 28. There was another person named Calvin who also asked questions.

I liked the show. Williams and Potter asked good questions. I believe on the whole the candidates were responsive. Potter seemed to prefer Carney. He often pitched a question to him first and at least once forgot to ask Markell the same question he asked Carney.

The format was somewhat loose which made many of the exchanges seem authentic. There's a lot to be said for being authentic.

Carney's opening was so monotone that for one flickering moment I thought it would be a relief to hear Gov. Ruth Ann Minner instead. She's the second lowest bar for me. The first lowest is Rep. Bob Valihura.

Both Carney and Markell touted their universal health care plans, which they assure us will cover everyone (if for no other reason that everyone will have to get it by some qualified means) and keep costs down. Their plans purport to do so by expanding the market of the private Delaware health care providers who currently drive up costs, wastes around 30% of every health care dollar on administrative costs, routinely denies coverage and life saving treatment under flimsy pretexts, tells doctors how to treat their covered patients, and kills 101,000 Americans needlessly from treatable illnesses and diseases by failing to cover the uninsured.

People who believe in universal, single-payer insurance they called "religious."

I believe that both of my party's candidates for governor should do Delaware a favor and go traveling. They should visit the 38 industrialized nations that have had this so-called religion up and running for some time and with better results. Single-payer universal health care only seems like a dreamworld to the provincial.