Republican Senator Scott Brown faced off against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren Thursday night in a debate televised by WBZ-TV. The Thursday debate was the first of four planned tilts between the candidates, and it saw disagreement between the two on just about every topic.
Polls have seesawed over the last week, with Brown and Warren swapping small leads, as they have throughout the campaign. The debates may provide one or the other an opportunity to change voter minds and swing the election his or her way.
Central to Thursday's debate was the focus on taxes, jobs and the economy.
"He has said he will defend the top 2 percent and the top 3 percent...and will hold the other 98% of families hostage," Warren said, referencing Brown's position against extending the Bush-era tax cuts unless it also contained cuts for the country's top earners.
Brown countered by noting that Warren's policies would raise taxes, on everyone, in fact, it's the "first thing she looks to do," he said.
"And the criticism is that I don't want to raise taxes," he said. "Guilty as charged. I'm not going to raise taxes. I'm going to protect taxpayers' pocketbooks and wallets."
Who do you think won the debate? Did the back and forth change your mind about the upcoming election? Did the candidates answer the questions you had? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
Susan Patton
7:52 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Nothing new about what each believes. I thought both did well. I thought Warren was more composed. No big surprises. I did like Warren bringing up the point if Brown gets in who may have control of the Senate which is a big deal! I am not sure what two more debates will bring. I thought Jon Keller was great as usual!
Tom Jeffords
9:06 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Spoken like a true squaw from Liarwatha's tribe.
Kate Walters
12:49 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
Tom,
Rather than making up cute insults, why don't you talk about what happened in the debate and why you diagree with Susan. I honestly thought it looked like a tie. They both scored some points and both came across as intelligent professionals. .
Gordon McIntosh
5:12 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
I'm sorry but in the first 20 minutes I didn't hear anything intelligent or useful from either candidate. It sounded to me like a playground squabble. I changed the channel. Maybe it got better afterwards.
Joe Veno
7:25 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
Who won ? Brown.
Jack
9:26 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
If Warren will lie about her ethnicity to get employed by the Ivy League, then we can only expect more and bigger lies if elected. It would be nice if she would take the time to get a law license if she wants to practice law, too.
Barry Berman
8:38 am on Saturday, October 6, 2012
I have yet to hear Brown say how he would take on the fundamentalists within his own party. On the major issues he has voted in lock step with the Teabaggers. He may be a nice guy but he is independent in name only.
Jack
8:49 pm on Saturday, October 6, 2012
Well, we know Warren isn't independent. She is Occupy through and through.