Richard Blumenthal / Linda McMahon Debate Wrap

[posted 10/12/10 to http://wrestlingbabylon.wordpress.com]


Ann Nyberg was an overmatched moderator – unclear on the ground rules and procedures, and constantly making that “shooshing” sound that came off like a teacher who lost control of her classroom.

Linda McMahon began strong but faded. (I understand she then ducked out of the post-debate “spin room.”) Richard Blumenthal made his case, sometimes smoothly, sometimes clumsily.

Blumenthal mistakenly said World Wrestling Entertainment had spent “hundreds of millions,” rather than “millions,” of lobbying dollars.

McMahon at one point got tongue-tied and said, “Mr. Blumenthal, when you go to Washington.” She meant “if” you go to Washington. She also placed her opponent at a trial lawyers’ conference in Calgary, Canada, rather than Vancouver.

There were other niggling pluses and minuses for both. The other debate commentators will be able to navigate them better than I.

What matters to me is that Blumenthal, when given the opportunity, said this:

I can’t believe that I just heard Ms. McMahon brag about this wellness policy at WWE. She requires all wrestlers to sign a death clause that absolves WWE of all responsibility if wrestlers are killed in the ring and if the company is at fault — absolves her company of all responsibility. That wellness policy is not working too well. There have been seven dead wrestlers since she started campaigning for this office. I would suggest some other policy might be advisable.


Irv Muchnick