Tolbert: Debate Showed Asa As Frontrunner

I will direct you to Steve Brawner’s post for a good objective blow by blow of last’s night Arkansas gubernatorial debate on KARK.  You can also watch the whole replay here.  Here are some of my general observations.

The main takeaway from the debate is that it solidified Asa Hutchinson as the frontrunner.  Asa came across calm and collected while Mike Ross came out swinging and failing to land some blows.  The harder he tried, the more frustrated he grew.

He tried this on several fronts.  One was Pre-K, as he tried to paint Asa as a flip-flopper pointing to a position he took in 2006.  However, this charge flipped around on him when he had to admit that he is not sure when he will be able to actually expand the program, which is not fully funded at its current level. Asa said his focus would be to fund the existing program.

Ross also tried hard on income tax cuts by painting Asa’s $100 million cut targeted at the middle class as being irresponsible.  Asa says that he will push for implementing this plan in the first year.  But Asa pointed out the Ross plan is five times larger and he cannot say when any of it will be implemented (much like his pre-K plan).

There were 3 moments in the debate that were the most tense.

First, Ross grew visibly angry about an attack ad from the RGA which criticized the sale of his pharmacy in Prescott.  He said Asa should apologize for the attacks on his wife.  He tends to frame it this way as he and his wife were partners in the pharmacy.  Asa responded that he has no control over the RGA ads.

At another point, Ross went on for several minutes in an answer describing just how bipartisan he is.  At the end, Asa complained about the additional time Ross was being given in the open style debate format.  “I’m sorry. Am I going too fast for you? I will try to slow down. I apologize,” said Ross with a condescending smirk.

The most memorable moment came in a back-and-forth beginning with Ross accusing Asa of being a flip-flopper on pre-K.

“I get confused. Is this the Washington Asa or is this the Arkansas Asa? I wish the real Asa Hutchinson would stand up,” said Ross seemingly borrowing a line from my pre-debate blog post.

“I am not sure a negative attack along that line…Mr. Ross spent time in Washington in Congress. If you want to talk about his record, he voted for Nancy Pelosi four times and he voted against her twice,” said Asa before Ross quickly interrupted.

“Now wait a minute, the only time Nancy Pelosi had an opponent, I gave the nominating speech for her opponent with her sitting on the front row,” interjected Ross. (I will note here that Pelosi did have an opponent all four times Ross voted for her in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009; however the opponent was a Republican and Ross was loyal to his party only voting for a token Democratic opponent Rep. Shuler in 2011 when Pelosi did not have a chance of winning with the GOP in the majority).

“Mike, I just said you voted for her four times. I didn’t say anything else. I said you voted against her as well. Don’t get so defensive about your flip-flipping on Nancy Pelosi. Those are just the facts Mike,” said Asa.

Several more debates are still scheduled between now and Election Day including one on October 7th hosted by KATV, a content partner with Talk Business & Politics. There will be plenty of opportunities for both candidates to score some points, but last night’s debate made it clear that Asa is the frontrunner and Ross is the challenger.