Congressional debate had the air of a circus

With four candidates pitching often radically different ideas on a host of issues, Monday’s 1^st District congressional debate seemed at least half circus – not so different than Congress itself.

Though Republican Ann Brickley and Democratic incumbent John Larson are far ahead in the polls, the two minor party challengers, Ken Krayeske of the Green Party and Chris Hutchinson of the Socialist Action Party, stole the show.

Even GOP stalwarts said the radical ideas floated by Krayeske and Hutchinson overshadowed the more conventional political stances of the two mainstream candidates.

“I felt kind of luck an odd duck,” Brickley said, with the other three all taking stands to her left.

Larson, an East Hartford Democrat who’s held the job for a dozen years, said Brickley offered only “Republican talking points” while Hutchinson and Krayeske offered solutions to the nation’s problems, even if they’re not the right answers.

Former Bristol Republican Party leader Art Mocabee said that Larson’s own answers amounted to “stale cigar smoke.”

In the 90-minute debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters and West Hartford Community Television at the West Hartford town hall, Krayeske said the quartet of candidates had “an excellent exchange of ideas.”

They certainly offered a variety of them.  Click here for the full story.

Here is Krayeske's summary of the debate, from his Facebook page today:

Yesterday was amazing. Let's agree on a few things. 1) LWV didn't moderate well, 2) They systematically cut off Hutchinson at least 4 times, 3) Larson spoke louder + banged his fist to rile up the crowd, 4) the crowd was rude + snickered repeatedly, 5) brickley was a robot + read her website's talking points, verbatim, 6) hutchinson read from notes the entire time + 6) i had fun. Let's do it again, like 3 more times!

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