A Deserved Smackdown From Steve Paikin

While there may be several morals to this story, one I’d like to highlight is this: many bloggers were taking potshots at various parties yesterday as the behind-the-scenes negotiations went on. While it may have made for provocative reading, much of it bore no resemblance to the truth at the time, and obviously not to what transpired in the end.

The rest.

Mark Steyn And The Kids Of Osgoode Hall

Our take on Mark Steyn’s debate with the kids of Osgoode Hall:

Steyn: kicked factual ass, good stats, a couple of funny jokes, too loud, accent plays badly on TV. Unless they’re boozed up and talking soccer, English guys need to tone it down to sound smart. Shouldn’t have debated them in the first place, because it made them seem legitimate, but he won. Best line: “Steve, let’s say I missed your show on the Queen’s Jubilee…”

Kids: wanna-be lawyers, so what do you expect? Shuffled too much paper. Babe on the right looked good, others too self-righteous. Guy sounded stupid when he said Libya was “oceans and continents away.” Best line for looking like a dick: “I didn’t interrupt you, sir.”

Steve Paikin, moderator: #1 in the business. When’s an American network going to call him up? Obviously didn’t buy the stuff the kids were selling. Good job keeping Steyn chilled as much as possible. Best line, delivered to the kids: “You’re comparing Ernst Zundel to Oriana Fallaci?“

The Human Rights Debate Club

TVO? Your cash. Human rights complaints? Your cash. An opportunity to hear both sides of an issue in a true debate? Worthless.

We’re guessing Steyn and the chickens won’t be sharing the same green room.

Latest proposal from TVO is for me to come on first for 15 minutes one-on-one with Steve Paikin to discuss “the larger ideas”, followed by the Sock Puppet Three on their own for 20 minutes to piss all over me, followed by me alone for a ten-minute rebuttal.

The rest.