KEY POINTS:
Was it a tantrum or just a debate? Viewers have reacted strongly to the first of the leaders' debates that at times degenerated into a shouting match.
The debate has drawn 15 pages of response from nzherald.co.nz readers in the Your Views section with one reader, registered as "Ginegerbreadman", blaming both leaders.
"Yes I watched it, unfortunately. Now they both need to be sent back to primary school to learn some manners."
Another writer - J.C.B - likened the debate to a boxing bout.
"Better than the rumble in the jungle or the thriller in Manila. Helen is one mean election winning machine and John had to be aggressive in return.
"There was a lot of holding going on and the best shots came from Helen; unfortunately for her they were straight into her own face," said J.C.B.
The writer went on to say that Helen Clark "got rattled" and said school fees are not compulsory which is "rubbish".
"John didn't say much of substance but these debates are about that, they are verbal boxing matches. Look at the late flurry of punches from Helen going on about trust."
Another reader calling themselves Foreign Spy said other contributors to Your Views watched the debate with their hearts and not their eyes.
"For example, attributing raising the Springbok tour issue to Helen Clark and accusing her of initiating the shout-down. It was, in fact, Barry Soper who raised the Springbok tour debacle, and John Key who initiated the over-talking when attempting to drown Helen Clark out, almost from the very start," Foreign Spy said.
Foreign Spy went on to say that reviewing a tape of the debate showed that Mr Key interjected many more times than Helen Clark.
But other readers, including Richard, disagreed.
"Many have commented that Key was over-shouting Clark. Yet do they realise that Key did not start off doing this, that it was Clark who started doing it, and like a polite man, Key allowed her? Then he realised that Clark was going to do it constantly, so started to stick up for himself," said Richard.
Anne gave her opinion on the two styles of the respective leaders.
"Helen Clark: rude, overbearing and just not able to resist the temptation to become abusive with the "yelling at home" charge which was an attack on not only him and his integrity but that of his wife and children. John Key: mature, intelligent, responsive and fully comprehending."
The host of the debate, TVNZ's Mark Sainsbury, also came in for some criticism for not being able to stop the interjecting.
DJ Naki asked: "What debate? It was like two kids having a classroom spat and the teacher (Sainsbury) had lost control."
Kylan said Mr Sainsbury failed to provide the two leaders with clear guidelines and it "was shocking that he let them interrupt each other and didn't put his foot down straight away. How can people make an informed decision when both leaders act like children talking over one another?"
- NZHERALD STAFF
