At the candidate forum
last night at the Ashe County Courthouse between incumbent Jonathan Jordan and
challenger Sue Counts for the Dist. 93 NC House seat, Jordan wanted to exhibit
a relentlessly sunny disposition: Everything is just fine, he assured us, since
the Republicans took over in 2011. Anything that's not quite right is entirely
the fault of "previous administrations."
According to him,
Republicans have a long list of achievements: Teachers are better off than
they've been in decades. Taxes have been reduced so that prosperity for all is
flourishing. Medicaid is being reformed (kicking 600,000 citizens off Medicaid
will do wonders!). Jordan and his fellow Republicans are johnny-on-the-spot,
protecting the environment. The rogue Town of Boone has been thoroughly
punished and humiliated. What's not to like?
At least half of the
audience, which included a sizable number of teachers, wasn't buying it.
Jordan was hammered with
questions about the sorry state of education funding in North Carolina, but
Jordan had his bar graph which he kept displaying. This proves, said he, that
the Republicans have done more for public education in the last two years than
anyone else in history. Bar graphs and statistics can prove anything, he might
have added, but didn't.
Jordan also defended his
vote on opening up the state to fracking. He claimed that "no wells have
ever been contaminated by fracking," a sweeping claim that surprised many
of the people in the courthouse. He was asked why he voted to make disclosure
of fracking chemicals a crime. He said that "only a few chemicals"
are used in fracking. "Mainly, it's sand and water." Many people
laughed out loud at that claim.
Among the questions from
the audience, there were a number of thoughtful and well informed queries
directed at both candidates. But a bizarre moment was provided by a prominent
Ashe County Republican Party officer. She expressed skepticism that challenger
Sue Counts could possibly be a Christian. (However low you think you've sunk
with contemporary Right Wing religiosity, there's always a bit lower you can go.)
3 comments:
My favorite moment was when Jordan smugly said that his party's platform was against abortion and gay rights, as though that put him on the right side of history.
Jordan did a fantastic job. He stated his answers clearly and backed each with facts. His opponent however, only offered an opposite opinion with no facts or plans for change. Jordan is the person for the job fighting for our rights! VOTE Jordan for NC House district 93!!!
"Anything that's not quite right is entirely the fault of "previous administrations."
Obamabots would NEVER THINK of blaming Bush for their failures.
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