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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK For the fifth time this year, two of the three gubernatorial candidates met for a debate Wednesday night.
This time, it was a different two.
Republican Pat McCrory and Libertarian Mike Munger debated the economy, health care and education in an hour-long debate hosted by UNC-TV, agreeing more than they disagreed.
Democrat Beverly Perdue chose not to attend the only live statewide televised debate, but that didn't mean she was ignored.
Instead, McCrory spent much of the evening shadow-boxing her positions on offshore drilling, community colleges and mental health reform.
He and Munger were much friendlier, often using their rebuttal time to note that they agreed with something the other candidate had just said – one often sounded like the “lite” version of the other.
During his opening statement, Munger thanked McCrory for attending, saying it showed “a simple respect for the democratic process.” McCrory said Perdue's decision not to attend “shows disrespect for the people of North Carolina.”
“The lieutenant governor lives just several miles from this location,” he said. “She should be here and participate in this opportunity to explore our leadership skills to talk about our vision and to talk about where we agree and differ on issues.”
Perdue spokesman David Kochman noted that Perdue has committed to five televised debates – “more than any previous campaign.”
“She looks forward to the next one on Oct. 15,” he said.
McCrory and Munger took starkly different positions on the issues of offshore drilling and the death penalty.
McCrory said that he would push to allow drilling off the coast of North Carolina once a federal moratorium is lifted, arguing it would eventually help increase the supply of oil and bring down gas prices.
Munger said the emphasis on offshore drilling is a gimmick in the short term.
“Both on employment and on the price of oil in the state, because it's a drop in an ocean of oil,” he said. “On the other hand, it's clearly the right thing to do.”
He emphasized that high oil prices have long-term positive effects if the market is left alone.
“High prices are not something we should try to solve by using tax money,” he said.
The price spike drives a reduction in usage, shifts to more fuel efficient cars and pushes the addition of energy efficiencies such as more insulation in homes. High prices also will make alternative energies profitable, he argued.
On the death penalty, Munger said he did not believe it was being administered equally.
“Your punishment shouldn't depend on the color of your skin or how much money you have to pay a lawyer,” he said.
He added that he philosophically opposes capital punishment. “I don't think we have any business with the government killing our citizens,” he said.
McCrory said he would work to reinstate the death penalty in North Carolina, which hasn't executed an inmate since 2006. But he said as governor he would consider commuting the sentences of people who did not have a fair trial or had inadequate defense.
“It wasn't the government who said it, it was the people who said this person tragically deserves death as a result of the horrendous crime that they committed against another human,” he said.
After the debate, the two said they disagree on a number of social issues that didn't come up.
Munger said that, unlike McCrory, he would allow illegal immigrants to study at state community colleges, allow gay marriage and support a much stronger school voucher program.
