Republican Governor Rick Snyder and Democratic challenger Mark Schauer met yesterday evening in their only debate. The two were asked about the economy, taxes and education funding.
Rick Pluta and Zoe Clark are co-hosts of Michigan Radio’s It’s Just Politics.
Whether Gov. Snyder has cut education funding was among the debate's hottest topics. “What the numbers show is that it was not a cut over the course of his administration,” says Pluta, who goes on to say that the perception of Michigan’s school system is not a positive one, as parents see classroom sizes increasing.
Same-sex marriage in Michigan was another debate topic that got people talking. Clark and Pluta note that Schauer was not yet a member of the Mighigan Legislature when it approved a statutory ban on same-sex marriage. However, both note that Schauer has been open about his support for marriage equality. “I felt that when the two candidates were talking about gay marriage, I thought that’s when Mark Schauer showed some heart," says Clark.
In discussing the strengths of both candidates in the debate, Clark and Pluta felt they were about even. "I didn't see anything that would obviously move the needle," says Pluta.
*Listen to Rick Pluta and Zoe Clark break down last night’s debate above*
