It's airing on KING 5 and the livestream is right here.

Eli: You there, Goldy?

Eli: Goldy? Don't make me do this alone.

Eli: Jim Brunner of The Seattle Times and Jean Ennerson of KING 5 are moderating. First question is about higher education funding. But what I want to know is: Where's Goldy?

Eli: I can't blog, if blogging is without you... I can't bloooooooog! I can't blog anymore!

Goldy: I'm here!

Eli: Oh thank god. I thought I was going to have to do this alone.

Goldy: I wish.

Eli: What happened?

Goldy: Had to make the commute from Havana to the Montlake Ale House, and the prez debate went late.

Eli: I assume you blame Kemper Freeman.

Goldy: Again we have to explain the tax swap. It raises taxes on property rich districts and lowers taxes on property poor districts without increasing the net revenue raised for K-12 education statewide. McKenna can make the redistribution of wealth argument if he wants, but that's what it is, and doesn't increase net school spending.

Eli: But, a good follow-up question to Inslee. How, exactly, would he raise revenue for education?

Goldy: Geez Mak, do your homework. The property tax swap DOES NOT RAISE NET SCHOOL REVENUE! That's why it's called a "SWAP".

Eli: Inslee's whole point, though, is that it's a tax increase "on 47 percent of school districts." Uses the opportunity to once again plug his propertytaxswap.com. Which upsets McKenna, who interrupts him.

Goldy: Inslee: "And when I interrupt you, let me know Rob." Taking a lesson from the presidential debate?

Goldy: But McKenna wouldn't raise revenue either. Neither candidate can tell you how they'll find the money to raise spending on K-12. But McKenna makes more outlandish promises.

Eli: So what do you think of Inslee's political use of the property tax swap idea?

Eli: (Inslee comes out against the bull insemination tax break!)

Goldy: I wouldn't be opposed to shifting more K-12 spending back to the state and away from local levies IF IT CAME WITH ADDITIONAL NEW REVENUE for K-12. But a tax swap without additional revenue for K-12 is unacceptable. It placates anti-tax Republican voters while leaving our schools underfunded.

Eli: I guess my point on this is a little less complicated. I think it's obviously politically useful for Inslee to be able to point to a concrete McKenna plan for "raising taxes."

Goldy: As for Inslee's political use of it, you know what... yeah. King County voters should no that they're getting fucked on this. What McKenna is counting on is that we here in King County don't mind having our taxes raised to help poor people.

Eli: McKenna accuses Inslee of having a "Solyndra mentality." Inslee comes back with his "75 point plan" to improve the economy. If Inslee would just list his 75 points, he could run out the debate clock.

Goldy: McKenna: "It's too expensive to do business in this state." And yet, survey after survey finds WA to have one of the top five business climates in the nation. How competitive do we need to be, Rob, to keep businesses from fleeing to North Dakota?

Goldy: Fuck. Almost out of battery power. I've got a spare with me, but I'm going to need to shutdown to put it in, as I don't have a cord. If I disappear for a few minutes, you'll know why.

Eli: Yeah, sure. That's just the Solyndra mentality talking, Goldy.

Goldy: I should probably swap batteries now during the incredibly stupid candidates asking each other questions segment.

Eli: Actually, this segment is getting pretty interesting with Inslee slamming—uh, moderator Jim Brunner's—newspaper, as well as others.

Goldy: Let's be clear, the daily newspapers didn't endorse Inslee because they're all owned by millionaires, and Inslee supports the estate tax.

Eli: Also, McKenna is forgetting that The Stranger's endorsements come out tomorrow.

Goldy: McKenna seems awfully testy. Not that it matters. Nobody but me and Eli are watching this debate. Oooh... McKenna gets sarcastic. On choice. Next thing you know he's going to start putting women in a binder.

Eli: Inslee trying to pin McKenna down on reproductive rights. Not quite succeeding so far.

Goldy: Okay. Need to swap batteries. See you soon.

Eli: Ennerson calls the candidates' quite complicated and rather confusing back-and-forth on reproductive rights "very clear." Wish they had more time to unpack this one.

Eli: On to an eastern Washington irrigation question...

Goldy: I'm back!

Eli: You missed... I can't remember what you missed. Irrigation visas I've represented both sides of the state etc.

Goldy: Did they really combine irrigation and immigration in the same question, or was that an unfortunate typo?

Eli: No, they really did. It was amazing.

Goldy: Oh god, I am so tired of the moderators asking the same questions that were asked in prior debates, know that they are going to get the exact same answers.

Goldy: If only these debates were filled with more puns, they'd be a lot more amusing to watch.

Eli: And now, McKenna's on a "fraud and accountability" tear. Also, the phrase "lean management" came up. Will "secret sauce" be next?

Goldy: Either McKenna's strategy is to be a total dick... or McKenna is a total dick.

Goldy: Yes! Inslee calls out McKenna's AG's office for the the dollar amount of tort claims tripling during his tenure. (McKenna's solution to skyrocketing tort claims to change the law so as to give the state immunity. My solution is for the state to get a better lawyer.)

Eli: Have you shared that one with him? I don't recall...

Goldy: McKenna suggests studying tolling on the I-90 express lanes so that we can get more efficient usage of the center road lines... um... forgetting that the center road lines are about to be converted to light rail. (I would share my "better lawyer" idea with McKenna if we were on speaking terms.)

Eli: McKenna parroting Kemper Freeman scare tactics about light rail somehow sinking the floating bridge.

Goldy: McKenna doesn't believe we can run fixed rail across a floating bridge, because apparently America has lost the ability to technically innovate.

Eli: Last question!

Goldy: The last question! OH THANK GOD!!!!

Goldy: I hate people who pronounce the "t" in "often."

Eli: I do that often.

Goldy: Then I hate you. Also, I generally hate mixing sweet with savory.
And Nazis.

Eli: Which reminds me to keep campaigning for that new column, "Grandpa Goldy's Grump Corner." I don't know why they cancelled that one before the first installment.

Goldy: Inslee pivots the education funding question to health care, pointing out that health care reform saves the state money. Smart move.

Goldy: The debates where the two candidates are standing works better for Inslee than the debates where they are sitting down behind a table. He just has a more imposing and manly presence.

Eli: You know, I actually think he's going better in this format. McKenna's hitting him hard, and he seems to be pushing back well. Maybe he's faster not-on-his-feet?

Goldy: McKenna's sales pitch appears to be that we need a change, whatever that change may be. No particular argument for why he's an effective agent of change. Okay, this wasn't nearly as fun as the presidential debate. Can't really say that either candidate won, but with Inslee continuing to hold a small if steady lead in the polls, I guess that gives the advantage to Inslee. This was the last gubernatorial debate, right Eli?

Eli: Yes, last one. I'll miss you! (And yes, this wasn't nearly as exciting as Obama-Romney. I wonder how many people actually kept watching all the way through both events... No big mistakes by either Inslee or McKenna that I could see, so unless McKenna's repeated point about having a lot of newspaper endorsements swayed anyone, I'd say the structural advantage remains with Inslee.)

Goldy: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, I'm free at last!

Eli: Goodnight, sweet Goldstein.