Hunt said Deal lacks the firsthand knowledge to lead Georgia's response. And Carter said his experience working in the Peace Corps in South Africa during disease outbreaks would serve him well.
Deal, for his part, said he was "misinformed" by his public health commissioner. Minutes before the debate, he appointed a task force to formulate the state's response to the deadly virus.
Carter, in a curt response, said the attack was misguided. "There are 21 bipartisan bills that have my name on them, that you signed into law," Carter said. "And at the same time, the attacks on my leadership are frankly just an attempt, I believe, to pass the buck."
The statement came in response to an editorial in The GA Voice that criticized him for sidestepping the issue, despite attending various LGBT-related events.
Carter himself later said, "I have, for a very long time, supported marriage equality. Everybody who knows me knows where I stand on the issue. I haven't had a conversion. I do think it's important for people to know that no one in the movement is talking about telling churches what to do. But as far as the government is concerned, marriage equality is something I have believed in for a very, very, very long time since before I got into politics."
So it goes in what may be the nation's most awkward legacy campaign. Political families--from the Roosevelts to the Kennedys, Bushes and Clintons--have long been a part of American politics. Carter's bid to unseat Gov. Nathan Deal, the Republican incumbent, is testing the strength and durability of the Carter name in Georgia, a red state that Democrats hope to turn blue. But it is also a test of something more: a deep bond between a 38-year-old grandson and an 89-year-old grandfather.
The former president's views on Israel are not the only ones to make his grandson squirm. Of the elder Carter's call to ban the death penalty, his grandson said, "I love my grandfather, but we disagree."
The elder Mr. Carter has plunged into his grandson's campaign. "He got elected governor of Georgia by shaking 600,000 hands," the younger Mr. Carter said. "That's what he would tell you: 'You've got to go to the grocery store and shake everybody's hand.' "
Senator Carter is the son of Jack Carter, the eldest of Jimmy and Rosalynn's four children. Like his grandfather, he is seeking the governorship after just four years in the State Senate.
"He wants it both ways," said one supporter of Gov. Deal. "He wants his granddaddy's help with contributors, but when it comes to the issues, he distances himself. My guess is if his last name were Jones, you and I might not be having this conversation."
A: I think it's essentially a political bill.
Q: You're in favor of Medicaid expansion?
A: What I believe is that we have to look at this problem critically. I think expansion should be on the table, and make sure those folks (eligible for coverage) can get either private insurance on the exchanges or get a Medicaid-like expansion--it all has to be on the table. I think we will do one of those things if I'm elected governor.
Q: Are you going to make expansion and health reform issues in your campaign?
A: I think that it makes economic sense for our state to ensure that we draw down our tax dollars and bring them back to Georgia to improve the health options that our citizens have.
A: I would rather see a paper trail. I have personally monitored elections in other countries. One of the most important aspect and credibility of those elections is a verifiable paper trail that people can look at and see that their votes have been counted. In order to achieve it, we have to figure out how much it costs. We have to do all the things that are required to make a real policy out of it. As a concept, I wish we had a paper trail. I would certainly call for it. I think it's important for credibility of that system. People need to know that their votes are counted.
A: The most important thing we can do in Georgia with respect to having a healthy economy is to ensure that our education system is viable and is educating people to have the skills they need. The biggest anchor we have on economic growth, right now, is our education system. The Governor's policies with respect to technical schools, higher education, K through 12, have all undermined our ability to grow toward the future. The other piece that is important to me is technical schools. We have lost 45,000 students in our technical schools because of the Governor's policies. That is an economic disaster waiting to happen. We've got employers that need folks with skills and we've got people who want to move up in the world and need those skills and they are not able to go to technical schools, and that's not good for anybody.
NRA website's self-description: While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world. Our nearly three million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs.
|
The above quotations are from 2014 Georgia Gubernatorial debates and race coverage.
Click here for other excerpts from 2014 Georgia Gubernatorial debates and race coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Jason Carter. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
| Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!) |