My Thoughts on the Sisolak-Lombardo Nevada Gubernatorial Debate
MY THOUGHTS ON TONIGHT’S SISOLAK-LOMBARDO NEVADA GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE
Earlier tonight, incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) took on challenger Sheriff Joe Lombardo (R) in a live televised debate hosted by The Nevada Independent and moderated by longtime politico Jon Ralston.
First off, I thought Ralston did a terrific job. He was fair. He was equally tough on both candidates. Ralston often challenged their answers and forced them into taking positions. He also had clearly done his homework, so typical of Ralston as our state’s premier reporter and interviewer.
For the most part, the debate was both informative and respectful. Even though these midterm campaigns are particularly vicious in many instances, Sisolak and Lombardo kept things civil, even when they strongly disagreed. I presume this has something to do with both men being public officials who have worked together on many issues in the past and — away from the campaign trail — probably have some degree of mutual respect towards each other.
As to my impressions, I thought Lombardo was effective during the first two-thirds of the debate. Sisolak was fine, also. However, Lombardo fielded questions well and displayed a good amount of knowledge about state government and the governorship — which isn’t always the case with newcomers to new levels of political theatre. In tight races like this, the challenger can be viewed as the winner when he/she appears to have the same grasp of issues and governmental affairs as a Governor who’s already been in office for nearly four years.
Unfortunately for Lombardo and his fellow Republicans, his debate performance crashed and burned in the final 25 minutes. Three huge issues were raised which are very important to Nevada voters and Lombardo’s discussion of them hurt him badly. Lombardo even flubbed one embarrassing moment that was as bad a political gaffe as it gets at this political level.
The first blow to Lombardo came on the abortion issue. This wedge issue is likely to swing a few elections and certainly helps Democrats in many swing states — including Nevada. Lombardo has changed his opinion on abortion numerous times and backpedaled yet again tonight when he attempted to weasel toward the center after campaigning over the past year as a “pro-life” Republican hoping to appeal to the radical Right. Lombardo and his campaign are trying to (falsely) claim that Nevada’s abortion law is “codified” as a fundamental right and therefore isn’t subject to being overturned. But that’s an outright lie. Any federal law passed by Congress (recall Sen. Lindsey Graham’s recent attempt to criminalize abortion nationally) or a new ruling by a hard-line conservative Supreme Court could overturn Nevada state laws and existing protections for women. Even if Lombardo’s *new* position on abortion was defensible, he was clearly boxed in by his past answer to abortion questions and unable to re-brand himself as a more moderate Republican. He appeared both uncomfortable and frustrated with the abortion issue vulnerability.
The next blow to Lombardo was his tasteless attempt to blame Nevada’s economic downturn and partial shutdown during COVID on Sisolak. The blame game may be popular and win some votes in deep-Red MAGA-crazy primaries, but most Nevadans know and understand why the state had to impose restrictions on businesses and people out of public health and safety. Lombardo has run out of steam on this issue and the longer he beats the dead horse of COVID, the further he’s likely to fall behind and lose the election.
Although there wasn’t enough time dedicated to health care and state Medicaid, Lombardo likely lost a few votes with his stand and unequivocal declaration that he’s opposed to the public option (essentially the Affordable Care Act and related government healthcare programs). All polls show a majority of Americans now favor the ACA (ObamaCare), and those numbers are even higher in Nevada which has a higher transient population that is more susceptible to losing everything they own in a health crisis without the funding and guarantees of the government option. Sisolak won this point easily, as it’s becoming increasingly toxic politically to argue the “free market” works when it comes to health care and costs. It doesn’t work. For-profit healthcare without protections only widens wealth gaps while destroying lives, mostly of middle-class and poor people. Meanwhile, let Lombardo argue for a broken for-profit system that bankrupts countless families. Sisolak’s position is the majority preference.
Lombardo’s biggest gaffe took place with only a few minutes remaining in the debate. During an exchange on the COVD issue and its impact on small businesses, Lombardo cited the state’s Chamber of Commerce as the leading voice of small businesses. He attempted to claim small business owners (who make up several Chambers of Commerce statewide) opposed Sisolak and his “shutdown.” That’s when Ralson, the moderator, jumped in and reminded Lombardo and the audience that the state’s Chamber of Commerce had already *endorsed Sisolak* the incumbent in this year’s governor’s race. From the look of confusion that he’s made a wrong turn onto a dead-end street, Lombardo knew he’d blown it. So next, desperate to reverse his error, Lombardo stated the state’s largest collection of small business leaders were “in Sisolak’s back pocket,” whatever in the hell that means. When Ralston attempted to get more information or obtain proof as to the Chamber’s corruption, Lombardo turned into a muted cricket.
Overall, the needle moved slightly in Lombardo’s favor, assuming that you turned off the debate with about 25 minutes remaining. However, if you watched the entire debate, Sisolak flattened Lombardo. More like, Lombardo blew it and probably missed his last opportunity to give independent voters any compelling reason to abandon the current state’s leadership for a challenger who has some glaring positions out of the Nevada mainstream.
