Sunday’s On the Record with host Joel Rubin featured a brief debate between the candidates for the open seat in the 83rd House district, Democrat Joe Bouchard and Republican Chris Stolle. (If you missed it, you can view it online here.) The candidates were given a minute or two to address why the voters should chose them and then Rubin asked the two questions: one about immigration and the other about the transportation plan.
It is interesting that both of these topics are the subjects of articles in today’s Virginian-Pilot. First, the editorial board takes on immigration:
Philosophical differences over the presence of illegal immigrants are a legitimate point of debate in the fall campaign. People have very different and deeply held opinions about the role of undocumented immigrants in American society.
What’s not legitimate is to pretend the state can easily have an impact on what is essentially a federal problem.
[…]
Virginia voters are going to be swamped with rhetoric about illegal immigration in the upcoming campaign. They should listen only to those candidates who acknowledge the limits of what state governments can do and who put a price tag on their ideas.
In the debate, one hears the rhetoric of Stolle while Bouchard gives the commonsense answer that state government cannot do what the federal government does not allow. Score one for Bouchard.
In the second article, there is a discussion of the fliers being sent out on behalf of Democratic candidates regarding the abuser fees. Just as he did in the debate, Stolle claims that Bouchard is misrepresenting his position, even though the fliers reference campaign materials that the Stolle camp put out during his primary. What is apparent to me is that Stolle has changed his position on the abuser fees, perhaps in the face of the overwhelming backlash that has come as the result. The term “flip flopper” comes to mind, despite the argument that it was Governor Tim Kaine who made the fees only apply to in-state drivers. (As far as I am concerned, the debacle that is known as the transportation plan has enough blame to go around.) I’m scoring this one a draw because while Bouchard has been against the fees all along, at least Stolle has come around on it.
I have to say that there was one thing I found irritating when watching this debate: Rubin’s time talking about Senator Ken Stolle, the big brother of candidate Chris. I didn’t get the relevance of it and the shadow of Ken Stolle over this race has been huge enough that I just didn’t feel like it was necessary. Heck, I was seated at lunch Friday with someone who said that they contributed to Joe Bouchard’s campaign prior to the June primary, was a huge supporter of Joe, but couldn’t do anything for him after Chris Stolle won the primary, due to this person’s relationship with Ken Stolle. If Bouchard loses this race, it will be because of this, not because Chris Stolle is a better candidate. The brief opportunity provided by OTR was marred, in my opinion, by this unnecessary reference.
Joe Bouchard needs our help, guys. He needs our money and our time. He can win this race, despite having to run against two opponents. Help out as much as you can.
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