Allen and Kaine win today’s debate
By JR Hoeft | Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 | PoliticsRepublican and former U.S. Senator George Allen did what he needed to do during today’s AP Day debate – he repeatedly tied “Chairman” Tim Kaine, the presumptive U.S. Senate Democratic nominee, to the failed policies of President Barack Obama on the economy, health care, taxes and energy.
Kaine, as he stated in the past, stood firmly with Obama, and repeatedly defended the president’s record. Amazingly, Kaine dug-in defending his budget proposal at the end of his gubernatorial term that would have raised taxes on Virginia families by more than $2 billion – a tax increase no Democrat in the General Assembly voted in favor of.
Kaine also made direct appeals to the Tea Party – saying that his record on spending is better than Allen’s in the Senate.
Of course, that is Apples and Oranges. Kaine could never get a tax increase passed through the Virginia General Assembly, so the only way he could balance the budget (as required by state law), was to cut spending screaming and kicking (and shuttering rest stops, not auditing state agencies, etc.)
As for Allen’s so-called “debt ceiling” votes during his U.S. Senate term, deficit spending was by far less than the explosion we’ve seen during the Obama administration…while two wrongs don’t make a right, Chairman Kaine clearly would support Obama’s policies of a more centrally controlled economy and out of control spending.
Ultimately, this debate for both candidates was whether they could show they are ready to go toe-to-toe with one another and represent their party’s interests.
They did not gaffe and showed they each have differing visions of the future.
Both candidates, ultimately, are winners by proving that the preliminaries no longer matter. It’s time for the main event.
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About the author
Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
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17 Responses to "Allen and Kaine win today’s debate"
Watching the debate, I am firmly convinced that Kaine is running in this race to capture Virginia for Obama. That’s it. Kaine departed from the Obama agenda not ONCE…not ONCE. He’s here to campaign for Obama every day whether it helps or hurts him against Allen.
I really think he only wants to win if he can have Obama as his President. He has made it clear he will run an all or nothing campaign. I think Allen’s chances of returning to the Senate just went up.
No gaffe? Did you miss the part where Allen went in about birth control & then made an idiot of himself by showing everyone he knows nothing about the basic science of something he would outlaw?
It’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Both of then reminded Virginians why neither deserves to represent this state again.
Brian, Been saying for almost a year now that the Kaine candidacy has more to do with Obama than Kaine.
Tim Kaine is a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them. He inextricably linked himself to Obama four years ago and he realizes that he can’t unring that bell. I don’t think that he is convinced that Obama is a net positive–look at all the Virginia Democrats who treated Obama like a leper this year–but he knows that Allen will eat him alive if he tries to repudiate his party’s President. I have to grudgingly give him credit for having the political courage to stand his ground. However, as Jason posted the other day, Defense cuts are already having an impact on jobs in southwestern Virginia. When that spreads to Hampton Roads and northern Virginia, Obama’s popularity in the commonwealth will sink farther and faster.
Not all of us had the opportunity to see the debate. Primaries are necessary JR. I don’t need you to pick my candidate based on one debate without any challengers to the anointed.
I agree with Kirwin on this — Kaine didn’t budge one iota from the Obama narrative, probably in a grand schematic to ensure Virginia remains in the Democratic column.
Noble sacrifice on Kaine’s part. Not sure it’s the path to victory, though.
He’s going for the urban vote.
Look you can tie yourself to anybody and if they perform as badly as Pres. Obama, you can easily distance yourself. How were you to know?
Unfortunately for Kaine, he is the DNC guy. Instead of spending so much time defending Obama, he needs to campaign for himself and contrast with Allen. Kaine did call out Allen on his big spending Senate record, as he should. Allen is vulnerable there. Still, too much on the defensive for Obama.
Maybe Kaine needs a reminder of why Virginians fired Allen and hired Webb. It wasn’t because Webb was seen as likely to support Obamacare or be some wild big government guy. Webb was seen as experienced, strong on defense, a Virginia’s flavor of conservative Democrat.
I can not believe you really think these two “Hacks” are the what the People of Our Commonwealth want! No, Sir….Jamie Radtke will beat Mr. Allen in the Primaries….IN JUNE 2012! Then the Folks will have a real Conservative to represent us in DC!
Yes. We are sheeple. We want a choice between a socialist and quasi socialist. We want status quo political hacks who will ensure we don’t move off of our current path to destruction. Woo Hoo status quo.
Oh Goodness. We read from
foutzltd on December 7, 2011 21:46 pm
<>
First. George Allen will the nominee of the Republican Party.
Second. I have written this here before, but nobody is listening. If the “tea party” wants to be a political party while all the while saying it is not an organized politcal party, then why don’t just you stay out of Republican Party nominating contests? You are either a Republican are a blood-sucking leech. Which is it?
Surely both parties can find better candidates than Kaine & Allen.
E.W.Jackson would have eaten Kaine alive & done it with such grace that Kaine would have thanked him.
http://jacksonforvirginia.org/
http://www.facebook.com/Jackson4Virginia
Sounds like a revolution is brewing in the masses. Better hope Allen passed out a whole bunch of cigars at the Hideaway.
Wow. The author wrote:
Both candidates, ultimately, are winners by proving that the preliminaries no longer matter.
I think he misspelled “primaries”.
What an amazing display of entitlement mentality and perhaps…just a bit of arrogance. Yes, what the people want no longer needs to be measured; lets have the republican party leadership simply install their desired candidate! Elections are soooo pedestrian.
[...] However, some of the folks at Tara (all two dozen of them) have taken to the square to answer, without answering, and are saying things that would make any true patriot’s head spin: [Comment at Bearing Drift December 7, 2011 19:35 pm] [...]
[...] Allen and Kaine win today’s debate; Bearing Drift [...]
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