O’Donnell Dodges Evolution Question, Accuses Coons Of Upholding “Tenants” Of Marxism

Tonight’s Christine O’Donnell–Chris Coons debate started out a little dull—barring one SNL-related hiccup. Things started to heat up, though, when moderator Wolf Blitzer began asking O’Donnell how her faith would influence her policies as Senator from Delaware. Specifically, Blitzer cited a remark O’Donnell made to Bill Maher in the ’90s before asking her, point blank, “Do you believe evolution is a myth?” Here’s a play-by-play of what happened next.

O’Donnell was flustered, stuttering that she had been speaking about “what a local school taught” rather than airing her own opinion. When she tried to move on, Blitzer pressed her again to answer the question.

She declined for a second time, saying only, “Local schools should make that decision.” When Blitzer asked her once more what she believed, O’Donnell finally replied in a substantial way—and though she declined to say definitively whether or not she believes in evolution, her answer implied where she stands on this issue.

“What I believe is irrelevant,” O’Donnell began. “What I will support in Washington, D.C. is the ability for the local school system to decide what is taught in their classrooms. And what I was talking about on that show was a classroom that was not allowed to teach creationism as an equal theory as evolution. That is against their Constitutional rights, and that is an overreaching of the arms of the government.”

The GOP candidate then changed the subject, bringing up remarks Coons has made about studying under a Marxist professor. According to O’Donnell, this means that her opponent is, basically, a sickle-wielding Stalinist: “When you look at his position on things like raising taxes–which is one of the tenants [sic] of Marxism—not supporting eliminating the death tax, which is a tenant of Marxism, I would would argue that there are more people that support my Catholic faith than his Marxist beliefs.” As she spoke, Coons raised his eyebrows and mouthed “wow.” When O’Donnell finished, the debate’s audience—students from the University of Delaware—booed.

When the Democratic Coons spoke again, he explained how a remark he had made in an article he wrote in college—about friends calling him a “bearded Marxist”—was meant to be a joke. “I am not now, nor have I ever been, anything but a clean-shaven capitalist,” he concluded, as the audience laughed.

What Coons didn’t do, though, was dispute O’Donnell’s accusation that he had studied with a Marxist professor. According to the Republican candidate, “That should send chills up the spine of every Delaware voter, because then if you compare that statement to your policies—”

“If it were accurate, if it were true, I’d agree,” interrupted Coons.

Now that’s what we were looking for tonight—controversy, creationism, and Catholicism vs. Marxism. You’ll have to wait until 11pm to see the entire debate; in the meantime, here’s video of the above fiery exchange.

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