Adler-Myers, The Second Debate

by: Martin

Sun Sep 21, 2008 at 09:28:57 PM EDT

Having just returned from the second debate between John Adler and Chris Myers, I thought I would provide a brief report. The debate was held at a Jewish Temple (M'kor Shalom) in Cherry Hill, the same place where Adler has been a parishioner for years.

Martin :: Adler-Myers, The Second Debate

I stayed for over an hour and got a better sense of Chris Myers than I have before. He came across as sincere and alternated between hyper partisanship towards Adler, repeatedly accusing him of tax increases, with subsequent discussions of his supposed bi-partisanship such as opposing S-CHIP, though curiously enough, he had no position originally
on SCHIP at the beginning of his campaign. Adler asked Myers to tell Bush tomorrow at his fundraiser that he opposes SCHIP. Myers was certainly competent and eloquent at times. Before the debate, even though I had an Adler sticker on, he introduced himself to me. In my honest assessment, though, he was overshadowed in this debate by Adler and his command of the issues.

It didnt' help Myers that he was in a pro-Democratic crowd, of course. The moderate, a Rabbi Schwartz, tried to keep the discourse positive and constructive, though, and he gave both Adler and Myers "yellow cards" for personal attacks. Several of the questions were quite good, and several included some mention of the current financial crises. Both Adler and Myers favored more regulation of the market, though Myers was more interested in theories of competing economics and how the current system needs revision. Adler used this and other opportunities to press middle-class issues and his middle-class upbringing; he further excoriated the Bush administration and their fault in the market crises.

One absolutely telling moment of the night was when the moderator, on behalf of a questioner, asked the candidates their positions on abortion and Roe v. Wade. After Adler defended a woman's right to choose very forcefully, Myers merely stood up and said "I'm Pro-Life" -- then absolutely refused to answer whether he supported overturning Roe v. Wade. I have to admit that I, somewhat disgusted, voiced my opinion that Myers (I was in the front row) didn't answer the question.

Myers praised the vice-presidential pick of right-wing extremist Sarah Palin, and Adler talked in glowing terms about Biden's experience and personal relationships with world leaders. Myers then repeated the conservative mantra that Palin had more real experience than Obama, which I thought was poorly done.

Myers is a smart, competent candidate; but Adler was more forceful in his argument that the middle class was sufferng under the current administration, and Adler worked in references to multiple important bills that he wrote (anti-smoking ban, small business tax exemption). Adler, in my estimation, will win this seat, and this debate certainly didn't hurt his chances.