Volatile final election debate produced no knockout punches

Who scored the most points? That’s the wrong question

Ontario’s most volatile election campaign has produced one of its most vituperative leaders debates. Doug Ford went after Andrea Horwath, who went after Kathleen Wynne. And then?

The Liberal leader counterattacked against the NDP leader, who pushed back against the Progressive Conservative leader.

Unsurprisingly, Sunday’s televised confrontation didn’t produce the climactic moment many were waiting for — the so-called ‘knockout punch’ or catastrophic gaffe that campaigns supposedly turn on. But it gave voters previously unseen glimpses, under fire, of the usually scripted politicians who aspire to be premier.

For all the heat under the television lights, there was remarkably little illumination on policies. Yet that doesn’t mean voters were left in the dark on the personalities at play.

Best opposition leader: Doug Ford, who attacked his NDP rival with such singleminded determination and repetition that he seemed to be auditioning for the job of heading Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.

Best debating captain: Andrea Horwath, who talked over her opponents so reflexively that she had to be reined in repeatedly by the moderators (“Ms. Horwath, let her finish, please.”) True to form, she squeezed in her attack lines persuasively.

Best supporting performer: Kathleen Wynne, who carried on as if she were destined to be re-elected premier for another four years — if only she could explain away the last four — and not like a leader fighting for her political life as the other two fight it out for first place in public opinion polls.

In every leaders debate, reporters reflexively look for punches, counterpunches and punch lines. Indeed, that journalistic scorecard will dominate the media narrative over the next few days as video clips keep looping on newscasts and the three rivals claim total victory in their press releases.

But that’s not how most viewers watch debates, nor how they absorb them at home. They are not as interested in the crossfire as how the leaders come across.

By that measure, this debate — like most such encounters — probably solidified the subjective viewpoints of many core voters.

First, despite the attempts by both the Tories and Liberals to paint the NDP as dangerously radical, Horwath held her own. She not only gave no ground, she gave up precious little air time to Ford and Wynne any time they attacked — interrupting, denying or making her point by laughing out loud.

Second, Ford often looked and sounded ill at ease at times. He seemed short of breath during his opening statement, reverted to frozen smiles under attack, and lapsed into verbal clumsiness at times. But for all the anticipation that he would implode on live TV, he committed no blunders and never lost his cool despite coming under attack from both sides.

Third, Wynne made no breakthroughs in a debate where she needed a miracle to recover lost ground. She had an easier time of it, as the other two leaders went at each other. But she may have made some progress in re-introducing herself to voters who have given up on her these last few years.

All that said, it doesn’t matter so much what the politicians say. Television has a way of highlighting body language and amplifying platitudes.

Wynne opted for contrition — a way to counter her consistently low popularity ratings in public opinion polls.

Who scored the most points? That’s the wrong question, one most journalists can’t answer. The verdict from voters is usually not about points, but overall and underlying impressions.