The first charade has concluded. The televised North Carolina Senate debate tonight predictably featured media representatives from the Charlotte Observer and Time Warner News who hurled questions from the left.
Time Warner's post-debate analysis team included three academicians and a representative from the NC Free Enterprise Foundation. It is difficult to argue that the political values of three academicians is going to be typical of those who comprise the GOP base. In any event, the post-debate analysts all were in the tank for Thom Tillis. They frothed at the mouth, for instance, regarding how Tillis spoke repeatedly about Kay Hagan.
Tillis made a statement, however, that primary voters need to note. He said that the economy is the most important issue that the United States Senate will need to address.
Is that what conservatives truly believe-- that the most important role of elected officials in Washington, especially at a time like this, is to address the economy?
Tillis also referred to his approach as "balanced"-- which should ring warning bells for conservatives.
Greg Brannon, as usual, made some great points and performed well. He continues to be the candidate who is singularly grounded in the U.S. Constitution. Mark Harris did nothing major to hurt himself.
Even Tillis' opponents must concede that he presents himself well even if some of the things that he says do not seem terribly credible.
But it was very difficult for any of those challenging Tillis in this particular environment to break out of the pack. Because of this dynamic, Tillis might have been helped marginally by the debate; although I would hesitate to say that he won it outright from the vantage point of thoughtful conservatives. The informed GOP primary voter will likely settle on one candidate based on his or her own priorities.
Let's hope the multitude of conservative forums and events at the local level, in which Tillis refused to participate, carry greater weight in the minds of these voters.
It was clear, however, from the post-debate discussion that the media/left complex very much wants Tillis to be the nominee.
Conservative senatorial candidates should not allow themselves to be vetted by the mainstream media. But they elected to participate; and now have another debate with WRAL tomorrow night.
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