An incumbent takes on a Tea Party challenger in a public debate with some degree of trepidation. Last week, our erstwhile Republican US Representative, Charlie Dent, faced the Tea Party's Matt Beniol before a crowd of 400. Charlie should have little to fear. After all, he stood four square against the Health Care Plan and fears "large scale programs that are akin to European-style government that he doesn't want this nation to emulate."
Still, it's tough to counter those Tea Party zingers like "Death Panels", "Viagra for Rapists", and the latest one sprung by Mr Beniol, "I don't want to pay for health care for someone's lazy child who waits until they are 26 to get a job." A proper response might be that the Health Care Bill simply states that a dependent child living at home can be covered under their parent's plan until they are 26. The parents are paying, not the general public, though that clarification ruins a good zinger and would fail to stir up the crowd.
With visions of unemployed 26 year olds participating in Death Panels and receiving free Viagra for their orgaistic life style, the crowd was primed for a "red meat" response from Charlie. "Not only should assault weapons be legal and unregistered, but surplus Army tanks should be given to every American who wants to protect his home!" Now, that would have brought the house down.
Instead, Charlie recommended reducing the maximum corporate tax rate from 35% to 25% as a way to bring jobs back to these shores. What a downer! It may make sense (though reducing taxes since the Reagan Era hasn't exactly brought Bethlehem Steel and Mack Trucks back to the Lehigh Valley) but it fell flat with the Tea Party crowd.
Debate with the Tea Party and be prepared to take a lump (or two).
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