Perriello Gets Aggressive Towards Hurt in VA-05 Debate
By Shaun Kenney | Wednesday, October 13th, 2010 | PoliticsWSLS just finished a 30-minute segment that left many folks scratching their heads and wondering whether anyone really got to know the two candidates.
One thing’s for sure — Hurt was uncomfortable with the tone and pace, and Perriello was nothing short of aggressive and direct. For most of the debate, Perriello commanded, but was not poised or assertive — just plain ol’ aggressive.
Favorite moment of the debate? When Perriello asked Hurt if he had read the ObamaCare bill. Hurt stuttered no, but all I could think about is whether or not Perriello read the bill before he voted on it! (answer: probably not)
I scorecard the debate a tie. But if one understands that you never win a debate, but only look not to lose one, then Perriello came out a bit bruised by his own aggressive style — one that flew in the face of the calm, moderating independent he has so assiduously maintained over the last few months.
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
Shaun Kenney is the Chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, former Communications Director for the Republican Party of Virginia, and an active blogger since 2002. Shaun lives in Thomas Jefferson's backyard with his wife, six children, and a modest attempt at a farm in Kents Store, Virginia.
We're 75% there! Thank you to everyone who has so far contributed! Just $2000 to go!
Comments
14 Responses to "Perriello Gets Aggressive Towards Hurt in VA-05 Debate"
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Shaun Kenney, Bearing Drift. Bearing Drift said: Web: Perriello Get Aggressive Towards Hurt in VA-05 Debate http://bit.ly/bKm0bQ [...]
Robert Hurt was comfortable with talking about balancing a budget. And he said he would go against his party in order to do so. He said he was against earmarks. And he said he would look at everything/every program/every dept as an item to cut in the budget.
but Perriello was spewing facts & figures so fast I couldn’t keep up. To hear him tell it, he has been the best Congressman in the history of America.
Shaun, if I might add….
Congressman Perriello let down seniors dreadfully over the past two years when he voted to gut Medicare by nearly a half-trillion dollars in favor of the budget-busting ObamaCare. He even unabashedly proclaimed that he disagreed with the dean of Virginia’s Democratic delegation in Congress, 9th District Congressman Rick Boucher, who said that healthcare went too far against seniors, which is why Boucher voted against it. But even more so than that, Perriello has no problems looking 5th District voters in the face and saying, “You’re wrong, I’m right. I know better than you.” In over 22 town halls, the people resoundingly begged Perriello not to vote for ObamaCare, yet he still did. If there is any more indication that a representative doesn’t represent his district, I’d like to hear about it.
Regarding the rest of the debate, Perriello time and again tried to paint himself as someone who would break with his party and was somehow an independent. However, the record clearly shows otherwise. 93% of the time, Perriello votes with the Democratic leadership. And on the issues that truly matter to voters in the 5th, such as health care, a comprehensive energy policy, and creating jobs, Perriello voted with Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi, sending the country careening towards a $13.5 trillion national debt and a nearly double-digit national unemployment rate – nearly 15% in the 5th District alone.
In just two years, Perriello has voted for the initiatives that have raised the debt faster than at any other time in our nation’s history. Whereas for the past 10 years in the Virginia legislature, Robert Hurt, in a cool and calm manner (just like in this debate), has fought for 5th District voters and balanced budgets time and time again, so much so that state revenues are now growing at over a 4% rate.
Instead of just playing lip service to independence, Hurt has demonstrated that he can make the tough choices, and will take a measured and comprehensive approach to cutting spending and representing the true values of 5th District voters.
Watch the debate replay
Did I hear Rep. Perriello say that cuts to the defense budget should be considered in order to balance the federal budget? If so, that should go over well: the western world is on alert for a possible terrorist attack of epic proportions, yet Tom Perriello thinks we should cut defense to pay for Obamacare. VFW PAC, would you care to reconsider your endorsement?
Sean,
You are giving Clark a lot more credit than he deserves. Not a single TEA party has any significant support for him. The Danville TEA party party and the chair of the Lynchburg TEA party are working hard for Robert Hurt. http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2010/oct/01/danville-tea-party-rallies-behind-hurt-ar-547158/
Clark has no money and has some cable TV ads in the lower part of the district but nowhere else. McKelvey effectively abandoned him. He is no longer really campaigning. He will have no presence at the polls in 98% of the district and I am being generous there.
You are also really missing the enthusiasm factor. Perriello has recently tried to get two protests started at Hurt offices, one in Albemarle on Tuesday and one in Danville last week. The Danville one was rescheduled by the Perriello campaign for lack of interest and when finally held had about eight protesters while Hurt had over 300 at a fish fry nearby. Albemarle had five protesters while Hurt had over a hundred with only a one day notice. Last night in Roanoke there were over thirty people welcoming Hurt to the debate site while Perriello had no one. NO ONE.
For Hurt to outraise Perrielo is significant and when you look at the data in a few days, I think you will see widespread support from every county for Hurt and Perrillo as always getting the largest amount of his money out of district and from the Charlottesville area. That will also show his lack of down district support.
It’s not over till its over but at this point Hurt is doing well in the field and beat Perriello last night. He focused on what people are concerned about, jobs and medical care. Perriello just looked harried and desperate. He is and we can expect more of the same from here out.
Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my.
From Rasmussen
Based on the recent appointments of the two most powerful staff positions in the White House, and on various statements, it would appear that the White House is descending deeper into the bunker in anticipation of the expected shift in congressional majorities next year.
From Fox
Obama: Republicans Will Have to Learn to Get Along With Me
“It’s pretty clear to me based on this interview that the president is saying, ‘I’ve given up, You’re on your own,’” said Democratic strategist Doug Schoen.
It would appear that Obama and his White House mafia have decided to throw about 100 demorats under the bus. They do not have to worry about THEIR jobs. Not yet.
Obama said he thinks Republicans will have to move in his direction no matter the outcome of the Nov. 2 vote. Democrats have been running away from him as fast as possible. So now Republicans are going to move to the left?
The 2012 election starts in 3 weeks. Now it will be time to get rid of him. And democrats that support him. And republicans that move to the left.
Gold hit a new record price yesterday. Again. Last time gold acted like that, Jimmy Carter was president.
In 3 weeks will be time for the republicans to REALLY start thinking about who they want to run for president.
And for Virginia Republicans, I do not have a good feeling about George Allen. How about someone else.
Well, if the best Shaun can do is call the debate a draw and criticize Perriello for being “too agressive,” and fantasize that since Hurt didn’t bother to read the health care bill, Perriello must not have done so either (despite mounds of evidence that, say what you will, Perriello is obviously well-informed on the issues), that means that Perriello clearly won this debate.
The fact was that Hurt could not respond directly to a single question, and he seemed utterly lost when he could not fall back on the poll-tested talking point slogans provided to him by the NRCC. His responses to budget questions were laughable. Asked what he would cut, his answer was congressional salaries. That’ll balance the budget.
This is not serious policy discussion.
Quite apart from my policy differences with Hurt, I was shocked at how unprepared and uninformed he was about the issues. I mean, he not only admitted he has not read the single most significant piece of legislation of the Obama Administration, but he seemed to brag about it, as if being uninformed was some kind of asset.
aznew:
Just to be clear, if this is a sin:
Then how in good conscience did Perriello vote for it, when he was in precisely the same position with regards to reading the very bill he voted on??
Wow — if that’s the brass ring Perriello supporters are latching onto, Congressman-elect Hurt should be measuring drapes right about now.
Shaun:
I presume Perriello read and was familiar with the substantive provisions of the health care reform bill when he voted on it. Perhaps you have info I don’t.
Hurt not only proudly admitted he hadn’t read the legislation to which he was adamantly opposed, he seemed to not fully understand the provisions of it, beyond the mindless talking points he repeated (Cut medicaid, increased taxes, blah blah blah).
A brass ring? Hardly. There will be no brass rings in this election.
But I’m old fashioned. I actually think knowing what you’re talking about is a good quality for our elected representatives.
For example, Hurt took the position that we should repeal provisions regarding reforms like not allowing insurance companies to refuse coverage of kids for a pre-existing condition, or allowing kids to remain on insurance until they are 26. If I recall, not even the GOP Pledge goes this far — it actually commits to these popular provisions. Most GOP ire seems directed not at these parts of the bill, but at the requirment that folks need to purchase insurance.
But on these popular features, Hurt says only that we “can move toward” them.
Seriously, he left me with the impression that he didn’t know what the heck he was talking about.
Asked where he would split with his party, he said on a balanced budget? I don’t even understand this answer. Is he saying he will vote against any budget that is not balanced? Crikey! What a meaningless and idiotic position. Why can’t Hurt say something meaningful, like he we can get to a balanced budget?
I understand where Hurt is probably at. I’m sure that Hurt figured he could just ride the wave into office, and he would not have to say much. Now, us pesky citizens are actually demanding that he tell us what he will actually do. It must suck when voters actually ask questions, and want intelligent and thoughtful answers in response.
Clark may not have any money for ads but the Democratic Party of Virginia is sending mailings that compare the three candidates with the comments about Clark being rather favorable and of course attacking Hurt. With some polls making it a one point race if they can get an extra point or so out of Hurt for Clark then Perriello gets reelected with less than 50% of the vote.
I doubt there are more than 100 Virginians who read the entire Obamacare bill. Yet millions of us know we hate it because of what we’ve read and otherwise learned about it. I didn’t have to read the Democratic Party platform to know I hate it.
well, everyone, I DID read the 2,700 Obamacare bill that Perriello voted for.
what i managed to understand terrified me. So many of our health care decisions are left to the Secy of HHS. why does this person make decisions about MY healthcare?
abortion is allowed. and the IRS manages the whole ball of wax.
so if Perriello read the bill & still voted for it, then he needs to come home.
aznew;
nobody “read” the 2700 page bill. Most of the bill is disjointed words, sentences, and paragraphs that are said to be “inserted into” or “replace” other words/sentences/paragraphs in multiple existing bills. You can’t “read” it in any normal sense of the word, nor if you read it could you ever understand everything it did, unless you also read every bill that is being modified.
Plus, you can’t really understand the new health care system even if you read the bill, because much of it simply says that the HHS will put together regulations that will govern how things are done.
But “reading the whole bill” is a lot more important for someone SUPPORTING the bill, and someone who actually VOTED on the bill. I can read a page of stuff being inserted, and in that one page can decide that I hate the bill, and I want to see it repealed.
It’s like making someone a cake. In order to know if you will like the cake, you will want to review all the ingredients. But someone can ask “is the cake chocolate”, and if you say “yes” they can say “ok then, I don’t want a piece, I don’t like chocolate”.
So, what’s the best way to know that Tom didn’t read the bill? Because there are several things he has said the bill would or wouldn’t do that we now know to be false.
Charles, Very Well Put.
Leave your response