October 11, 2016 06:45 PM UTC

Debate Diary: Live-Blogging the U.S. Senate Showdown

• 7 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

The first — and only — televised debate in Colorado’s U.S. Senate race takes place tonight at the History Colorado Center in downtown Denver (hosted by 9News).

Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is well on his way to a blowout victory over Republican Senate nominee Darryl Glenn — nevermind Glenn’s ridiculous claim today that the race is a “virtual tie.” But this is the only televised Senate debate of 2016, and we can’t pretend we aren’t interested to see what kind of absurdities come out of Glenn’s mouth as he tries to convince voters that he isn’t actually the worst statewide candidate in Colorado history.

That’s reason enough for us to roll out another Debate Diary. Let’s get ready to bumbllleeee…

*NOTE: The most current update appears at the top of the page. As always, unless it is in direct quotes, consider all statements paraphrased in the interest of time.  

Final Thoughts
This was the Denver Broncos versus Bell Middle School in football. Michael Bennet answered questions directly, provided context and detail, and looked and sounded like…a Senator. Darryl Glenn could not have been more overmatched. He was petulant and silly, insisting on pushing irrelevant points to the detriment of his own time that could have been used to answer questions. Bennet is going to defeat Glenn by a wide margin in November, and as we saw in this debate, he very well should.

7:57 pm
Closing statements.

Bennet talks about bipartisan track record and the problem of Members of Congress being unwilling to work with others. Says he is optimistic when he travels the state and talks to people.

Glenn says he is concerned about the tone of this campaign. We weren’t aware people were talking about the Senate race in any tone.

Glenn finishes up with something about how your vote matters and we live in the greatest country in the world.

7:55 pm
Question about what issue is being overdone this cycle. Bennet says that he’ll do the opposite  — says that education is not being discussed nearly enough.

Glenn then tries to demand that Bennet answer a question about vouchers.

Darryl Glenn is an idiot.

7:53 pm
Bennet gives a good answer on gun control, saying he supports background checks but does not believe in getting rid of the second amendment.

Clark interrupts and says that these laws won’t make a “significant” difference. Bennet smartly responds by saying it is a cop out to do nothing and just say that it won’t make enough of a difference.

7:51 pm
Question about guns, from Rittiman. “Donald Trump has said that Hillary Clinton wants to abolish the second amendment, which Clinton has never actually said herself. Do you believe that Clinton actually does want to abolish the second amendment?”

This is a stupid question, and it gets a stupid answer from Glenn, who says, “Maybe she shouldn’t say that.”

She hasn’t.

Glenn says that actions speak louder than words, so even if Clinton didn’t say it, she does say it, or something.

“I get confused with Hillary Clinton because first people are deplorables, and now she wants to abolish things. Which one is it?” says Glenn. Perhaps he doesn’t know what some of these words actually mean when they come out of his mouth.

7:49 pm
Bennet asked to provide two examples of how he would increase jobs in the private and public sectors. Bennet has no trouble detailing several pieces of legislation he has supported or sponsored and how they would add jobs.

Same question for Glenn, who begins by chiding Bennet for supporting the Affordable Care Act. Glenn then talks about the war on coal. Apparently he’s not going to suggest two specific ideas for adding private and public sector jobs.

7:48 pm
Glenn tries — again — to say that Bennet isn’t a leader because he hasn’t said bad things about Hillary Clinton. Both moderators talk over Glenn with a refrain of, “we’ve been down this road already.”

7:45 pm
A viewer asks a question about unity and bringing communities together, and how each candidate would address this.

Glenn says something about the importance of coming together. He says he has been pulled over in his car by police simply because he is black. Glenn finishes with a bunch of platitudes and bumper sticker slogans.

Bennet talks next, and frames the debate by pointing out how Glenn regularly says one thing to one group and then another thing to someone else. Bennet says he is proud to work with people across Colorado on all issues, and working together in Congress without demonizing others.

“I have tried to set an example,” says Bennet. “I can’t abide by people who just want to get elected and see their name in lights.”

7:42 pm
Bennet answers a hard-to-understand question by pledging to serve in a bipartisan manner because he represents all of Colorado.

Bennet then talks about Glenn saying Democrats are evil and that he refuses to be bipartisan.

Rittiman asks Glenn about how his consistent claims of being tired of working across the aisle could possibly help to get things done in Washington D.C.

Glenn says he will work with anyone who wants to set aside partisan politics (which is absolutely not what he has said for the last 9 months).

Glenn then tries some ham-handed attack on Bennet about how a “97% bipartisan voting rate” isn’t getting things done in Washington. Then he says this is why we should repeal Common Core, because we can’t do math anymore. This was probably a relatively good quip when he first thought of it, or wrote it down, but it’s completely incomprehensible now.

Rittiman: “But denouncing reaching across the aisle — how does that do anything about gridlock?”

Glenn is stuck here, and he knows it. You can see the anxiety on his face. He tries to answer by saying that he is against the idea that bipartisanship means Republicans should just do what Democrats want. The camera shows an exasperated Rittiman.

And then…oh, Darryl…

Glenn: “The best way to repatriate that money overseas is to change the corporate tax rate to be able to bring those dollars back so we can use them.”

Bennet doesn’t miss a beat. “That’s actually what my bill does.”

7:39 pm
Another stupid-ass question from Kyle Clark for Bennet. Do you believe that many of Darryl Glenn’s supporters are deplorables, like Hillary Clinton has called Donald Trump supporters deplorables. Since Hillary Clinton has never commented about Darryl Glenn in general, we’re not sure how this is an actual question.

Bennet answers “absolutely not.”

Clark then asks Glenn about how Trump’s campaign has ignited racial tensions in the U.S.

Glenn starts off by trying to berate Bennet for not just saying that Hillary Clinton was wrong to call Trump supporters deplorable. “Are you willing to do that now,” asks Glenn.

The camera moves to a wide shot of the candidates and moderators. Bennet, Clark, and Rittiman are all staring at each other in apparent disbelief at the randomness of this attempt from Glenn.

“Will you say she was wrong?” asks Glenn.

“I don’t have to say she was wrong, because Hillary Clinton immediately apologized and said she was wrong,” answers Bennet. Glenn tries to say something about leadership, but he is generally ignored.

7:35 pm
Viewers get to choose the next question. Too bad they don’t get to choose whether or not Glenn will actually answer the next question.

According to viewers, they want to hear a question about infrastructure!

Question: “Do you have any thoughts on how to fund America’s aging infrastructure?”

Glenn says that we should not raise the gas tax. He says that we need to free federal money that can be going to the states for infrastructure (what?) Glenn sums up by saying that he works on transportations issues all the time as a County Commissioner.

Bennet responds with an answer that shows he actually knows something about the question. Talks about how Congress recently passed legislation to pay for infrastructure with a Federal Highway Bill that involved months of negotiations.

Bennet then steers slightly off-topic to say that he is tired of Glenn saying that he doesn’t come back to Colorado enough. Bennet says he’ll put his record of traveling throughout Colorado up against any Colorado politician, including those who don’t have to regularly travel back to Washington D.C.

Bennet closes with a strong answer about how this generation is not showing the decency of maintaining our infrastructure for generations to come.

Rittiman asks Bennet if he agrees with Glenn about not increasing the gas tax. Bennet says the timing of a raise doesn’t make sense because of advances in renewable energy and more efficient cars.

At this point, Glenn jumps in accusing Bennet and the moderators of misstating his position on the gas tax. Clark explains to Glenn that both he and Bennet agreed that we should not increase the gas tax.

Darryl Glenn is an idiot.

7:32 pm
Uh, oh, Darryl — Kyle Clark has a bone to pick.

Clark asks about Glenn’s poor fundraising, specifically about a discussion he had with Glenn last spring when Glenn said there would be lots of money and that it would prove Clark’s question false. Clark says, “Now, you finished dead last in fundraising. Why lie to a journalist reporting a story to the public?”

Glenn tries to shift the subject to be about how fundraising doesn’t make the candidate. Clark stops him to say that the question is about honesty, not fundraising, and about Glenn claiming that he would have strong financial backing before the GOP Primary.

Naturally…Glenn responds again about how fundraising doesn’t make the candidate and that Clark is disrespecting people who make small donations to his campaign.

Glenn is an idiot.

Clark tries one more time. Why did you mislead Republicans prior to the June Primary by saying that there would be significant financial resources available for you in a General Election campaign? You knew that wasn’t true when you said it.

Glenn responds with this gem: “The premise of your question makes it seem like we mislead anybody.”

Um, yes. That is the premise.

Glenn continues by saying that his campaign DID raise money. We’re going to pause and rewind a moment here, because we can’t do this answer justice unless we just repeat what Glenn said, word for word:

“It should give you confidence in the process that, while I raised the least amount of money, I’m here. And I beat a lot of opponents. And Michael Bennet is the only person that I know that can spend $2 million in a campaign, in a Primary election, and be the only name on the ballot. So, who do you want to actually manage your money?”

And…Chinatown!

7:30 pm
Back to moderator questions. Rittiman asks a question about fixing Obamacare, adding the completely unnecessary and untrue statement that Bennet’s vote was the key vote to pass Obamacare (in a close vote, you can’t point to one specific person as being the deciding vote).

Bennet talks about how we need to strengthen the market in rural areas and increase transparency in the health care industry to drive down costs. Does not support repealing the Affordable Care Act because 500,000 more people are insured, lifetime caps and pre-existing conditions don’t exist anymore.

Bennet says his office doesn’t get many complaints about Medicare, in response to a follow-up question. He says the calls his office receives are mostly from people who can’t get claims paid by their insurers.

Question for Glenn about how to fix the affordable care act.

Glenn starts by complaining about Bennet not spending enough time in Colorado, or something. Glenn says we should repeal ACA but make sure we have something in place immediately to replace it.

Let’s repeat that: Glenn says we should repeal ACA but make sure we have something in place immediately to replace it.

And no, Glenn makes no attempt to suggest any replacement ideas.

7:28 pm
Bennet gets to ask his question of Glenn. Bennet starts by talking about how he wants to return to the Trump question, which Glenn dodged earlier. 

“Trump clearly apologized before you issued a statement saying that he was unfit to be Commander in Chief,” says Bennet. “Which I also happen to agree with…”

Bennet says that Glenn then spoke to Fox News on Monday to say that he changed his mind after hearing Trump attack Hillary Clinton.

As Bennet is talking, the camera pans to Glenn making a Marco Rubio “where’s my water” face.

Bennet says that Trump didn’t apologize — he just tried to justify his statements as “locker room language.”

Glenn says that “this is an area where we agree, because we both have daughters,” and then he makes a complete ass of himself by saying that he is showing that he can stand up to members of his own political party but Bennet won’t say anything bad about Hillary Clinton.

Bennet and the moderators interject to remind Glenn that he is supposed to be answering Bennet’s question — just as Bennet just answered his question. Nevertheless, Bennet adds, “My answer is that I have endorsed Hillary Clinton. I’m standing here answering that question.”

Glenn starts yelling, his lip quivering, saying that he endorsed Donald Trump but then called him out on saying bad things about women (of course, without mentioning that he THEN went public to give Trump a pass for saying those things).

Bennet says his question, which has yet to be answered, is whether or not Glenn will answer the earlier question from the moderators about whether he supports Donald Trump. Yes or no?

Then Glenn falls right into the trap.

“I have absolutely suspended my endorsement of Donald Trump because…”

“Okay,” says Bennet. “No speeches, Darryl, just like you keep saying to me. You answered the question.”

Glenn blathers on about repentance, or something, but clearly doesn’t understand that he totally just screwed up AGAIN on his Trump position.

7:26 pm
Candidates, you may engage. Glenn gets to ask a question of Bennet.

Glenn: “During the Iran nuclear debate, Republicans brought forward a resolution to oppose the deal. Why did you support a filibuster of this vote?”

Bennet answers immediately, and sharply. “Well, probably because I supported the Iran deal and I was voting Yes on the deal.”

Glenn tries a gotcha by saying “you support people’s right to vote,” so why would you oppose the filibuster. Bennet responds that the rest of the world was waiting for the U.S. to finish the deal, and if it hadn’t, it would automatically weaken sanctions on Iran and would lead to Iran developing nuclear weapons in secret.

Bennet is just straight killing Glenn in this debate. It’s almost unfair.

Glenn is visibly flustered, stuttering and sweating as he tries to ask Bennet about the $400 million paid to Iran that Republicans claim was a “ransom payment” but has been repeatedly proven otherwise.

Put a question mark on it, please! says Clark off-screen, trying to prompt Glenn to stop blathering.

Bennet then crushes Glenn some more, demonstrating a deep knowledge of international relations that makes Glenn’s questions seem overwrought. Bennet talks about writing legislation with people who support and oppose the deal, to make sure that money is being tracked.

“We don’t need a speech,” interrupts Glenn in his best “petulant jackass” voice.

7:24 pm
Question: Do you agree with the notion that terrorism is a threat that is overstated and is not an economic threat? This is an absolutely idiotic question from Kyle Clark — what do you think either candidate is going to say?

Bennet: I don’t agree.

Clark: “How would you rank terrorism as an issue?” Kyle Clark seems to have a notebook full of stupid questions.

Bennet seems a bit exasperated, and rightly so. There’s no real way to answer a question like this. Nobody is going to say, “Terrorism is #4, after Health Care but before Farm Subsidies.”

Bennet answers that people can and should make their own judgments about priorities, but that keeping Americans safe is always going to be at the top of the list.

Also, the chanting and drum-banging has returned.

7:21 pm
Glenn is so clearly out of his depth here, answering substantive policy questions with nonsense bumper-sticker statements. In response to a question about how the U.S. should deal with Russian and Syria, Glenn says that America isn’t leading and that we have weak leadership in the White House.

Rittiman asks three times: “Is Assad our partner?”

For the second time tonight, Glenn refuses to answer the question despite being asked three times.

Bennet jumps in and says he is happy to hear that Glenn no longer supports a blanket ban on religions in the U.S. (Glenn has previously been a vocal backer of Donald Trump’s “keep the Muslims out” proposal).

Bennet then answers the Assad question the way a major party candidate for the U.S. Senate is supposed to answer a question like this: “Assad is an enemy — not just of our country, but of humanity itself.”

7:18 pm
A 9News viewer asks a question about Syrian refugees in the United States. Bennet says we don’t have a duty to accept refugees, but that the U.S. should accept them because it’s the right thing to do. Says he cannot support bans on an entire religion or a particular group of refugees. Adds that it is in difficult times when we learn as a nation how to make these difficult choices.

[The chanting sounds have died down; or, at least, 9News has figured out how to quiet the noise.]

Glenn answers a question about refugees by saying that the unemployment rate for minorities in America is too high.

Glenn says he does not support blanket bans on particular religions or refugee groups. “That’s something we should be able to work on through a bipartisan basis,” says Glenn — the same Glenn who regularly decries bipartisanship in general.

7:16 pm
We’re going to the Lightning Round!

Should local governments be able to ban fracking? Both candidates say no.

Best and worst Presidents in U.S. History: Glenn says Lincoln, and says the worst President has yet to be determined. Bennet agrees with Glenn on both.

Can you name a Republican you have voted for? Bennet says yes, but says he will not name names because he believes his personal vote is private. Glenn gets a similar question and answers in a similar way.

Leadership characteristics that you wish you had? Glenn: “Height.” Gets a good laugh from the crowd.

Bennet can’t really hear the questions — neither can Glenn — so each question is being repeated. Bennet finally answers that he would say he continues to develop more patience, while joking that his daughters may not agree.

7:14 pm
Clark pauses the questions to explain that the chanting noise — which also kind of sounds like a train — is actually protestors outside who are pounding on the walls to make a statement about third-party candidates not being included in this debate. This is going to get old in a hurry.

Clark explains that third-party candidates were not included despite offers to the campaigns to produce polling information showing that they could be competitive in the 2016 Senate race.

7:11 pm
Glenn demands that Bennet answer whether or not he agrees with the “open borders” provision in TPP discussions. Bennet answers that he would be happy to answer, if someone would define what we are talking about in terms of the “open border” provision.

Much of the next minute or so is drowned out by what sounds like Native American chanting, perhaps from a nearby exhibit (this debate is being held at the History Colorado Center in Denver).

Clark asks Glenn — three times — to explain his ideas about foreign trade aside from his general opposition to TPP. Three times Glenn mumbles something about American exceptionalism instead.

7:09 pm
Clark insists on asking Bennet about whether or not he agrees with Hillary Clinton on speeches she has made regarding trade and immigration reforms. Bennet justly says he isn’t familiar with what Clinton has said in detail, but that he thinks we shouldn’t turn our backs on trading with the world.

7:05 pm
Bennet’s first question is about Iran, which he answers by saying that he remains skeptical but that the recent deal with Iran was the right approach. Bennet talks a lot about safeguards in place to keep sanction threats available.

7:03 pm
Clark asks Glenn how he can call himself a compassionate Christian conservative yet waffle on his support for a candidate who demeans women. Glenn mumbles something.

“If Mr. Trump does not accept your invitation to meet, are you done with him?” asks Clark.

“Well, the invitation is still out there…” says Glenn.

7:01 pm
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is on the left of the screen; Darryl Glenn is on the right. The first question out of the gate is for Glenn about Trump.

Glenn says “we should never disrespect women.” then he says that Trump apologized on Sunday in the debate and now he will wait to speak with Trump in person to take a definitive position (like that’s going to happen).

Clark notes that Trump apologized before Glenn dropped Trump on Saturday. Glenn fumbles around and totally blows the question.

7:00 pm
We’re watching the live debate feed from 9News on Channel 20 (which is Channel 657 on Comcast, but…you get the point).

9News reporters/anchors Kyle Clark and Brandon Rittiman are the moderators tonight. Clark mentioned Glenn’s back-and-forth on supporting Donald Trump in the opener, so this should get fun in a hurry…