"Critics felt that the candidate was far too $\qquad$ ; he did not easily concede a point and relished the chance to be drawn into confrontation."
- The blank describes the candidate's personality based on two behaviors:
1. "He did not easily concede a point" $\rightarrow$ stubborn, argumentative.
2. "Relished the chance to be drawn into confrontation" $\rightarrow$ enjoys fighting or debating.
- The tone is negative ("critics felt"), so we need words with a combative, aggressive, or overly argumentative connotation.

Evaluating the Options:
We need to pick two words that fit this combative, confrontational tone.
A. temperate
- Meaning: Moderate, self-restrained.
- Doesn't fit - This is the opposite of the description.
B. feisty
- Meaning: Spirited, eager to fight or argue.
- Fits well - Matches the candidate's confrontational nature.
C. meek
- Meaning: Quiet, submissive.
- Doesn't fit - Opposite of the description.

D. pugnacious
- Meaning: Eager to fight, combative.
- Fits perfectly - Directly matches the candidate's behavior.
E. stalwart
- Meaning: Loyal, reliable.
- Doesn't fit - No relation to confrontation.
F. doughty
- Meaning: Brave, persistent.
- Partial fit - While it can imply stubbornness, it lacks the aggressive connotation needed here.

Best Choices:

The two words that best describe a confrontational, argumentative candidate are:
- B. feisty (spirited, eager to argue)
- D. pugnacious (eager to fight)

Final Answer:
B. feisty and D. pugnacious
"Critics felt that the candidate was far too feisty [or pugnacious]; he did not easily concede a point and relished the chance to be drawn into confrontation."