Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Fight Night: Rocky VS Hannity - Utah Mayor Rocky Anderson debates Sean Hannity

In a previous post I spoke about Aura. Recently one pundit enhanced his Aura immensely by making good on his challenge. On May the 4th in front of an audience of 2000 people APF Pundit Sean Hannity squared off with Rocky Anderson, the progressive Mayor of Utah.
Rocky Debates Talk Show Host Hannity
Tickets to Friday's debate sold out in less than two hours with the divided crowd giving Hannity and Anderson a raucous reception.

The two have been feuding for months. Anderson originally was scheduled to appear on Hannity's cable television show, 'Hannity and Colmes' on March 8. That appearance was canceled the day of the show.

Following the show's cancellation, the two agreed to debate for charity, although it took weeks to finalize details. It was supposed to be a strictly organized debate, but Anderson and Hannity both broke their own rules by frequently interrupting the other and avoiding answering one another's questions.
Sean Hannity showed guts. Its not often that a pundit will surrender control and enter a debate that they would otherwise control on their own show. Sean Hannity has the comfort of having his own TV and Radio program and doesn't need to engage in a high wire act with potential for humiliation.

He regularly takes callers and invites guests to debate. In this format, Sean as host (and co-host with Alan Colmes) has the benefit of steering the conversation as well as the right of reply. It allows him to apply his trademark Hannity move, reading a litany of controversial quotes from like minds of the opponent (no matter how tangential or out of context) after which he demands their justification. Its the type of edge afforded to a host.

It is to Hannity's credit that he participated in this event hosted by The Associated Students of the University of Utah. Hannity is no stranger to partisan debating in Utah. Utah Valley State College was involved in a firestorm surrounding the contentious invitation of Michael Moore to speak on campus. Sean Hannity was booked by the UVHC prior to Moore's engagement to create a balance to appease the majority Conservative community. This drama was gloriously captured in the documentary, 'This Divided State'. Here Sean Hannity would get a taste of the passionate divide he would experience in this showdown with Rocky.

Read comments on the debate from the Right (Newsbusters)
Read comments from the left (Huffington Post)
Read comments from some of those in attendance
Read how the debate was compared to an APF wrestling match- actually they said the WWF (sic)
Watch Video It's ON! or is it?
Read and Watch a comprehensive recap of the debate


VIDEO: Watch debate excerpts between Sean Hannity and Rocky Anderson

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