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Jan Brewer Tongue-Tied, Loses Way in Arizona Governor Debate

1 year ago
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Let's see now, where was I? Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's halting, jumbled, grinning (inappropriately) performance in her televised debate with Democrat Terry Goddard almost made a viewer want to look away in embarrassment -- for her.

It was as if Brewer was winging it -- unprepared and lost for words in her opening statement for the first gubernatorial debate Wednesday night against Goddard, the Arizona attorney general. Her remarks at the outset of the event in Phoenix were marked by long pauses, downward looks, little chuckles, banalities and wide smiles. Click play below to watch a Chris Matthews segment on Brewer's remarks:


Some samples: "I have done so much. . . . We have done everything we could possibly do. . . . I just cannot believe that we have changed everything since I have become your governor in the last 600 days. . . . We have did what was right for Arizona. . . . We have pushed back hard against the federal government."

Brewer, in her first term, got national attention when she signed Arizona's tough immigration law and then defended it vigorously against criticism from civil rights advocates, Hispanic activists and President Obama.

After the debate, she wouldn't answer when reporters pressed her to respond to Goddard's charge that Brewer had falsely claimed that Arizona had become, as Goddard put it, "a place of fear, and we have beheadings in the desert." Asked if she would take back the beheading claim, Brewer changed the subject. Asked again, she stood silently for several seconds and then walked away -- saying "Thank you all" -- from the clutch of reporters.

Later, speaking to KTAR radio, Brewer said of her performance, "it certainly was the longest 16 seconds of my life. But I'm human."

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27 Comments

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Deborah Blount

Arizona Governor Brewer had notes, yet her opening remarks were disjointed. Her English grammar was something else. Governor Brewer said "We have done what was right for Arizona." If she had mastered English 101, she should know the correct thing to say would have been "we have done what was right for Arizona." Perhaps we can blame her performance on nerves. Will there be other debates? If so, she can redeem herself.

September 04 2010 at 8:25 AM Report abuse -3 rate up rate down Reply
flowkay3

I am from Arizona and I remember back in 2004 presidential election Brewer was then Sec. of State who oversees elections. There were rumors that she fixed the election of Pres Bush here in our state.

September 03 2010 at 9:13 PM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
truthforfreedom

Jan Brewer will win her election despite what the media, including that clown Chris Matthews says. No one is listening anymore. We know the game. Every dirty trick in the book won't work anymore. For years the media has waged this one sided war against Republicans and Conservatives and it is catching up because we have caught on. Thank goodness for technology and fact finding outlets.

September 03 2010 at 2:54 PM Report abuse +9 rate up rate down Reply
momprayn

I love Jan Brewer!!!!! Need more like her and Sheriff Arpao all over the country!!!! She's doing what's needed and right for our citizens in spite of all the ridiculous opposition by our own government - shame on them!!! It's more than outrageous! Go Jan and God Bless you !!!!!!!!

September 03 2010 at 2:52 PM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply
sixmkx

wow big deal...talk about making a mountain range out of an anthill...I expected something along the lines of that poor Miss America from a few years back when she starting saying the most bizarre things about education and "what not" and "therefore"...now, THAT was brain freeze...this was just a 13 second "whoops where was I" moment...with all on her mind, is it any wonder? come on, gear up for some real stories AOL, you're reaching here.....

September 03 2010 at 2:38 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
KELLI2L

This Governor has a lot on her plate, what with a Federal Government that prosecutes States that are WILLING to follow America's Federal Laws on the illegal immigrant invasions - yet it co-operates with Sanctuary City's. . . (makes no sense at all). . . . This is one of the main reasons the Democrats crazy powers will be DILUTED in the November elections !!!

September 03 2010 at 2:09 PM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply
Kenneth

Of course woman in politics do a better job. No body in their right mind would want to cross them during the cycle every 28 days. Then you have the change of life hormones. Most married men know exactly what I am talking about. Plus most woman can keep to a budget then men. We have a habit of letting a 20 dollar bill burn a hundred dollar hole in our pockets. I am one of those to a point. I call it boys and their toys. The only difference between us and our children is the price of the toys. Car, Pick up Truck, boat, fishing equipment, golf equipment,and big screen Tv's and they have to have a remote that never leaves your hands.

September 03 2010 at 2:03 PM Report abuse -5 rate up rate down Reply
Nancy

The reason there are no statistics on the number of illegals receiving health care at hospitals, is the fact that the hospitals are not allowed to ask about citizenship. They just have to lose millionns of dollars and we who have expensive policies have to pay for them. Where is the justice!

September 03 2010 at 1:30 PM Report abuse +11 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Nancy's comment
hefie

Nancy, you are right. That's what happens when the federal government makes mandates on private business.

September 04 2010 at 4:10 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
christierandall

This governor has blatantly lied. I have relatives who live in Arizona and I just talked to them the other day and they told me that they have no problems or issues with hispanics....Only near the border have they heard of problems. If you research you will find that the crime rate in Arizona is lower than it has been in the last ten years. According to the nonpartisan Immigration Policy Institute, proponents of the bill "overlook two salient points: Crime rates have already been falling in Arizona for years despite the presence of unauthorized immigrants, and a century's worth of research has demonstrated that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than the native-born."

September 03 2010 at 1:07 PM Report abuse -11 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to christierandall's comment
Kenneth

Right that is why the federal government has installed signs warning people that the area is a high crime area. These signs are about 30 miles north of the border.It really sounds like crime is down.I know she went to all the trouble passing an immigrations laws just because she was bored and had nothing better to do. Maybe it may be safe in Northern Arizona where your relatives live but that is not the whole state. She is responsible for all the residence in the entire state not just the north.

September 03 2010 at 1:32 PM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
jleary415

A reply to your previous entry requesting info, check this out: http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/parkland.asp

September 03 2010 at 4:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kenneth

Who care if she got tongue tied. She already has control of the office and is doing a fantastic job. She actually would not have to say a word or campaign to maintain her position. She would get reelected just on her record.

September 03 2010 at 12:58 PM Report abuse +13 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Kenneth's comment
bpdarling

Jan Brewer has done NOTHING during her term as Governor, and that is what she said in the dabate......NOTHING!!! She HAS NO RECORD! That is why she had nothing to say, because she has done absolutely nothing for Arizona, except severely damage the biggest industry with is tourism. The State is losing tens of millions as people stay away, and property taxes are about to SKYROCKET! The people of Arizona now realize that THEY will have to PAY for all of these crazy things the tea party republicans want to do, like take away their social security and make retirees invest their retirement in risky stock market wall street investments. Arizona is going DOWN......hopefully they will get Brewer out before she does any more DAMAGE to the state.

September 03 2010 at 1:58 PM Report abuse -10 rate up rate down Reply

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