William Larsen

I debated Mark Souder and Mike Montagano this afternoon. I wish I could say I did a great job, but in all honesty all I was able to do was a good job. I was not great or terrible, but just good. There were seven questions asked.

1. Bail Out
2. Earmarks
3. How would you represent the 3^rd district? Would you vote the way you wanted or the way the voters wanted?
4. Negative Campaigning
5. What our my qualifications
6. Healthcare
7. Energy
   

My opponents stressed government programs, tax incentives and tax credits. Montagano stressed a program to insure children, middle class tax cuts and incentives for companies to keep jobs here.

I hope I did not come across as a broken record, but the economy is the issue. 51 years of deficit spending, legislation to make homes more affordable without addressing the ability to pay for and maintain a home and government cost shifting of Medicare and Medicaid to everyone else have led us to the terrible recession or worse we now experience.

The one question I thought was not appropriate to bring up in the debate was how the candidates felt about the negative campaign adds between Souder and Montagano. I addressed issues, but here was six minutes that could have been used to learn a candidate’s position on one more issue. I guess it is true, the more mud and negative an election gets, the more the media enjoys it. Reminds me of a bug zapper attracting bugs to their death.

Were there clear differences, yes? Souder is different from Montagano and both are different from me.

I did my best and I thank all my supporters. I am going to relax and spend Halloween with my family. Enjoy this warm Halloween, it does not happen often.

posted by William Larsen @ 5:24 PM