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Warner, Gillespie each promise to bring more independent voice to Washington Warner, Gillespie each promise to bring more independent voice to Washington
(35 minutes later)
Sen. Mark R. Warner and his Republican challenger, Ed Gillespie, each promised to bring greater independence to an elected body paralyzed by partisan gridlock in a lively debate Tuesday broadcast live from the suburbs of Washington. Sen. Mark R. Warner and his Republican challenger, Ed Gillespie, each promised to bring greater independence to an elected body paralyzed by partisan gridlock in a lively debate broadcast Tuesday evening from the suburbs of Washington.
The debate, before an audience of Northern Virginia business leaders, kicked off with a topic that has dominated national headlines for the past two days: the Supreme Court’s decision to let stand several court decisions legalizing same-sex marriage in Virginia and four other states. Yet Warner and Gillespie both reverted to familiar partisan attacks in a debate dominated by divisive issues such as gay marriage, immigration and abortion. In front of an audience of Northern Virginia business leaders, the two candidates deployed well-worn charges and slogans — and avoided the kind of headline-grabbing revelations or attacks that might shake up a race in which Warner, according to recent polls, holds a commanding if shrinking lead.
Gillespie said that as a Catholic he opposes same-sex marriage: “My faith in marriage is between a man and a woman.” But he says the issue should be left to the states, and so as a senator he would not support federal legislation barring same-sex unions. “It is the law in Virginia today,” he said. ”Of course I accept the ruling.” Even as he emphasized his position in the “sensible center” and distanced himself from President Obama, Warner was quick to draw contrasts on same-sex marriage, birth control and the environment. It’s a sign of how the self-described “radical centrist” has adapted to the explosive population growth in the more liberal northern pockets of the state.
Warner argued that his support for same-sex marriage is a key difference with his opponent. Opposition to same-sex marriage was not only wrong but also bad for business, he said, because it made the state less welcoming. Gillespie emphasized Warner’s ties to an unpopular president and health-care law as well as a Democratic Party that is on the defense nationally, while Warner painted his rival as a “partisan warrior.”
Warner also drew a contrast on birth control: “I trust women to make these decisions.” Gillespie’s support for over-the-counter birth control, he charged, is “really a gimmick” because non-prescription drugs are not covered by insurance. Asked by moderator Chuck Todd of NBC News how he has bucked his own party, Gillespie said he thought Republicans had gone “overboard” in the 1990s in imposing mandatory minimums for federal crimes. He said he also supported “banning the box” that felons must check on many job applications, “for certain crimes and for certain jobs.”
Gillespie countered that he was the one who wanted to give Virginia women more choice in health-care plans by repealing the Affordable Care Act and the standards that have led some plans to be canceled. “Talk about having faith in the women of Virginia; I have faith in the women of Virginia to make the decision of what plans are the best for their health,” he said. “I’m someone who believes in redemption — and in reconciliation,” he said.
The candidates found common ground on foreign policy, with both saying that President Obama was wrong to rule out ground troops in Iraq. Gillespie also said he accepts the legalization of gay marriage in Virginia although he opposes same-sex unions.
After charging each other with being too partisan, the candidates were asked for specific examples of when they bucked their party leadership. “It is the law in Virginia today,” he said of the Supreme Court’s decision Monday to let stand several federal court decisions in favor of same-sex marriage. “Of course I accept the ruling.” He agrees with Warner, he said, that there should be no federal same-sex marriage ban, though he acknowledged that as chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2004 he stood for a platform advocating such a ban.
Gillespie said he disagreed when the Republican-controlled Congress passed mandatory minimum sentences for felons during the 1990s.
“That went too far,” he said. “I believe we need to revisit those, in particular for nonviolent offenders.”
Warner said he has differed with the Obama administration on numerous occasions and chastised Gillespie for claiming that the senator votes with the president 97 percent of the time.
“My opponent’s whole campaign is based on this bogus charge,” Warner said, claiming that he is considered to be “in the sensible center” and enjoys support from Republican legislators.
Warner said he differs with his party over drilling off the Virginia coast and that he supports building the Keystone XL pipeline, which Democrats have opposed on the grounds that it would damage the environment.
Gillespie said that Warner talks about being bipartisan but ultimately sides with Democrats.
“One of the reasons he takes arrows from both sides is because he says one thing but votes the other way,” Gillespie said about Warner.
Warner suggested that partisan redistricting and outside campaign spending contributed to “partisan gridlock.” He offered to make a deal with Gillespie that minute barring outside groups for the rest of the race.
Gillespie laughed at that.
“This is classic,” he said. “Your super PAC has spent $1.5 million on your behalf. . . . I haven’t had a penny spent, I haven’t had a penny.” Laughing again, he said, “I just find it humorous.”
Warner drew another contrast on environmental issues, saying that while he supported all forms of energy production, “There’s also a serious challenge around climate change.” His opponent, he said, couldn’t be trusted to deal with that challenge.
Gillespie said he agreed that “there is ample evidence that climate change is occurring” and that people contribute to it. But, he said, Warner had not voted as he claimed to on energy policy.
Both candidates got a chance to defend themselves against the attacks that been flung in recent weeks. Politifact was cited repeatedly, as Warner accused his opponent of flip-flopping on immigration and Gillespie accused Warner of being a party-line Democrat.
Warner demurred when asked if he thought Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) was the best leader Democrats could have: “We could perhaps do better in both parties.” Gillespie said he liked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Campaign slogans were trotted out as well. Gillespie repeatedly promised to “ease the squeeze” on hardworking Virginians, while Warner said he would work to give them a “fair shot.”
The candidates met in an office building auditorium in one of Virginia’s most thriving business districts, Tysons Corner. They did so on the same day that a new poll found Warner holding a smaller but still commanding lead over Gillespie.The candidates met in an office building auditorium in one of Virginia’s most thriving business districts, Tysons Corner. They did so on the same day that a new poll found Warner holding a smaller but still commanding lead over Gillespie.
The survey, from the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University, shows likely voters favoring Warner by 12 points, 51 to 39 percent. Gillespie’s support appears to have grown over the past month: In several polls, the gap between the candidates has shrunk. The last Wason Center poll, in early September, found Warner leading by 22 points. The senator remains well-positioned for reelection, however, putting pressure on Gillespie to use Tuesday evening’s debate to his advantage. The survey, from the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University, shows likely voters favoring Warner by 12 points, 51 to 39 percent. Gillespie’s support appears to have grown over the past month: In several polls, the gap between the candidates has shrunk. The last Wason Center poll, in early September, found Warner leading by 22 points. The senator remains well-positioned for reelection, however, putting pressure on Gillespie to use Tuesday evening’s debate to his advantage.
After an hour of attacks, each concluded by arguing that he was the candidate with the most crossover appeal, key in this swing state. Gillespie said he was getting a lot of support from voters who backed Warner in 2008; Warner countered that more Republicans endorsed him than did six years ago. Despite a challenging national forecast for Democrats driven by dissastisfaction with the economy and the White House, Warner has maintained an advantage not only with voters of his party but also with independents and some conservatives, according to the CNU poll and others. A popular former governor in a state that has grown even more blue since he was first elected, Warner holds an advantage on a broad range of issues from health care to energy policy.
The candidates have not engaged in a debate since late July, although they have appeared together at several joint forums. Pointed political and personal attacks were lobbed on both sides during that debate, but there was no gaffe or surprising statement to shake up what has been a sleepy Senate race. Gillespie, however, has gained ground with independents.
Despite a dour national forecast for Democrats driven by dissastisfaction with the economy and the White House, Warner has maintained an advantage not only with voters of his own party but also with independents and some conservatives. A popular former governor who has long described himself as a “radical centrist,” he has an advantage in this poll on a broad range of issues from health care to energy policy. At the debate, Warner ticked off a list of policies on which he had bucked his party — offshore drilling, the Keystone XL pipeline, foreign policy in Iraq and Russia. Asked how he felt about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), he responded, “We could perhaps do better in both parties.”
“Gillespie has only a few weeks to convince voters that he would do a better job than Warner, and at this point in the race he has not done that,” said poll director Quentin Kidd. The senator also made a surprise proposal. Arguing that unlimited campaign spending has contributed to unbridled partisanship, Warner suggested the two candidates agree to bar outside groups from any further involvement in the race.
While the dynamic of this race hasn’t changed in the past ten weeks, much else has. Obama authorized air strikes on Islamic State militants in Iraq and deployed additional troops to the country. The Supreme Court decided to let stand court rulings in five states — including Virginia — legalizing gay marriage. The West African Ebola epidemic reached the United States. Amid revelations of multiple missteps in protecting the president, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson stepped down. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced his plan to resign. Fighting in Ukraine has continued in the face of a fragile cease-fire. “Let’s have this race between you and me,” Warner said.
Both candidates have also begun airing negative ads in what was, at the time of the last debate, a largely positive campaign. Warner has criticized Gillespie’s past work as a lobbyist for Enron, while Gillespie has targeted the senator’s support for the Affordable Care Act and other presidential priorities. Gillespie laughed incredulously, calling Warner’s suggestion “classic” and indicating that he found it disingenuous.
Warner has promoted his more liberal stances on some issues, particularly same-sex marriage, the minimum wage and climate change. At the same time, he continues to present himself as a bipartisan dealmaker concerned primarily with jobs and the deficit. “Your super PAC has spent $1.5 million on your behalf,” Gillespie said, while the senator interjected that Gillespie is the “granddaddy of super PACs” for his work helping to found the influential Republican committee Crossroads GPS with Karl Rove, the former adviser to President George W. Bush.
Gillespie, for his part, has played down his work as a lobbyist and chairman of the Republican National Committee, instead working to position himself as a friendly champion of the middle class. He has argued repeatedly on the trail that Warner is not the moderate senator he promised to be. Like many Republicans this cycle, he has largely avoided social issues. One of the most heated exchanges in the previous debate came when Warner accused Gillespie of supporting “personhood” legislation that would define a fertilized egg as a human. Gillespie said his opponent was “making up my view” and targeting his Catholic faith. “I haven’t had a penny, I haven’t had a penny spent!” Gillespie responded, laughing again. “I just find it humorous.”
The Wason Center poll was conducted from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, based on interviews with 839 registered Virginia voters, 690 of whom are considered likely voters. It was one of several interactions suggesting that each candidate has gotten under the other’s skin. Both used the debate to contest issues raised in the previous debate — and to decry the attack ads that have begun to flood the airwaves.
Warner called Gillespie’s proposal to make birth control available without a prescription a “gimmick” that would take contraceptives out of most insurance plans and make them more expensive.
“He’s been supported by the major anti-choice groups around the country,” Warner said. “He wouldn’t answer in the last debate about whether he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.”
Warner also alleged that Gillespie’s “whole campaign has been pretty much based on [a] bogus charge” that he voted with Obama 97 percent of the time.
That claim, Warner emphasized, is based on only the fraction of votes on which the president has taken a position at all.
Gillespie defended the allegation, noting that Politifact rated the attack “true.”
“Senator Warner’s press releases are very bipartisan, but his floor votes are very party line,” he said. “One of the reasons he takes arrows from both sides is because he says one thing but votes the other way.”
When Warner pressed Gillespie on immigration, accusing him of changing his position, the challenger again cited Politifact, saying the fact-checker found he had been “entirely consistent.”
Warner also tried to beat back the charge that 250,000 Virginians would lose their health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, saying it was described as “simply false.” He said he was committed to making changes to the law, including letting people keep their plans for three years, creating a cheaper “copper plan” option and rolling back “regulatory overburden.”
“We need to fix this problem, not simply re-litigate it,” he said.
Gillespie said he would detail his health-care policy in a speech this week. But, he said, “you don’t have to go far in the commonwealth to find someone who has had their insurance canceled and lost their doctor as a result of Senator Warner’s support for the Affordable Care Act.”
The candidates found a small piece of common ground on foreign policy, both saying Obama was wrong to rule out ground troops in Iraq. Gillespie agreed with Warner that there is “ample evidence climate change is occurring” and “man contributes to it.”
Warner argued that he was the only candidate who took climate change seriously. “He lobbies against fuel efficiency standards and he was a lobbyist for Enron,” he said. “I’m not sure that’s the approach that we need going forward.”
Even as they attacked each other, both touted crossover support, key in this swing state. Gillespie said many past Warner voters were coming to him, while Warner said he had more Republican support than when he first ran for office.
Both candidates will have another chance to make their case to voters — a final debate is scheduled for Oct. 13.