A Tale of Two Senators: Rubens vs Brown - Granite Grok

A Tale of Two Senators: Rubens vs Brown

BrownRunsAll the smart money says that telegenic, Washington-funded, experienced, FORMER Senator Scott Brown is the one to run against Jeanne Shaheen. While they are betting on Brown, they advise him to be uncontroversial, to avoid ‘extreme’ positions, to remember that the fight is over the middle 20%.

What if they were completely wrong? At my house a couple of weeks ago, Brown preached to the easily swayed choir and ignored the rest, simply saying that he was the one, or as Gov Sununu said Thursday night (paraphrasing):Brown-Dog-Sleeping “We can count to 51 – all that matters is a majority in the Senate”. What Brown did not do, even without any recording devices, was stake out any policy positions, in fact, he was so good at not taking a position that I wrote about The Dog That Didn’t Bark.

KarenWe have previously hosted Karen Testerman, and she gave good answers, from the heart, over an extended period of questioning. But this piece is about the fortuitous back-to-back comparison between Brown and Rubens which was afforded to me when the timing of Brown’s visit put it on the adjacent night to Rubens’ trip to Hollis.

Let me say again, that going in, I expected both Brown and Rubens to have some policy positions I didn’t agree with, and I wanted to hear how they presented those positions and how well they answered questions – were these guys 80% Republicans, or not? Brown did not satisfy with his answers – how would Rubens fare?

RubensAnd a striking comparison it was. Where Brown had been as slippery as polished glass, Rubens laid out his positions candidly, including a couple I don’t agree with, but here’s the thing – he didn’t waffle or evade – he was willing to defend every position, and back it up with his reasoning. This is a big freaking deal.

I’m not easily impressed, and, noting the couple of policy areas where I differ from Jim, I wasn’t particularly leaning his way at the beginning of the evening, but I was determined to give him a fair hearing, and I came away a lot more impressed than I went in. Here’s how the session went….

Rubens started out with a little background, and some of his policy positions:

He was initially elected to the State Senate from Hanover, which is no mean feat in itself. In the state house, he campaigned successfully for charter schools. He is a businessman and angel investor, having started and run businesses himself.

First the talking points – as complete as my scribbling could make them:

#1 Problem is the spending and debt – money printing is a problem, causing currency destruction.

#2 Real unemployment level is 14%, due to bogus stats and shrinking workforce participation.

#3 Leviathan government, regulating and spying, is eroding our liberty

#4 Young people really hate the spying, and resent high unemployment and ObamaCare – he’s making inroads amongst the college crowd.

#5 Dodd-Frank needs to go – it’s another regulatory monstrosity. (Jim even sounds sounds a bit like Ron Paul on banking)

#6 IRS abuses, First Amendment: The point is protecting speech you don’t like.

#7 Protecting Federalism and the Tenth Amendment is essential.

#8 Has started and run 10 businesses in the state, so he understands what small business needs.

#9 Is negotiating with DC sources to ensure he gets accepted if he wins the primary

Question and Answer session:

Question: Another plea for unity. To reach out to independents
Response: He’s reaching Millennials, they are getting the constitution. (Again sounding like he’s trying to win over the ‘Paulites’ that Brown is turning off for sure.)

Question: Asking about climate change and the way it is being used for control of the people.
Response: As a scientist, he is with the consensus that Anthropogenic Global Warming is occurring.
He is against cap and trade.
He would work to strip EPA of carbon regulatory power and return that to Congress.
He would remove all energy subsides and let the market decide what is viable.
We have an anti-business tax code which is forcing business offshore – cut and simplify corporate taxes and reduce payroll taxes.
Drrrrrumrrrroll!
AHA – reductions in other taxes paid for by carbon tax! (Which he regards as a proxy consumption tax)

Follow-on Question: What kind of tax code do you favor?
He favors the FairTax. The biggest problem with changing the type of taxation are the transition issues with all of the givebacks and deductions.

Question: Why is it “Republican smoke and mirrors” to reduce taxes without raising other taxes? (EG his carbon tax proposal)
Response: Because deficits continue and spending goes up.
The carbon tax is a form of consumption tax.

Question: What would you do to help new businesses raise funds? (EG crowdsourcing)
Response: We need to make the entire country friendly for business
Simplify taxes
Reduce regulations
Strengthen the currency.
Healthcare – encourage innovation to reduce costs. (And do tort reform)

Question (a): How will you reduce energy costs?
Question (b): What’s your policy on Oil Drilling, Refineries, Keystone….
Responses:
Wants to stop EPA before it issues more coal/carbon regulations.
Doesn’t believe in energy subsidies, but does believe in sponsored research.
Would promote natural gas
Supports fracking with basic safeguards IE sleeve for the drilled wells.
For more drilling, Keystone, etc.

Question: What would YOU do about Ukraine?
Response was a very credible discussion on foreign policy and Ukraine: Corrupt Russophiles vs Nasty NeoNazis – no good guys there.
We are not obligated to defend Ukraine, just deter, but we ARE obligated to defend the Baltic states, and cannot breach that agreement without losing our last shred of credibility. There should be no threats without credible follow-through.

Question: What about the drug war and legalization?
Response: Would prefer to federalize drug laws, not have a federal drug war.

Question: What do you think of the idea of a “living constitution”?
Response: The Constitution means what it says, and all the protections stripped away by the courts are a travesty. An originalist.

Question: How will you avoid being run over as a Junior Senator?
Response: Like Kelly, he won’t wait to become a “senior” Senator, but beyond what Kelly is doing, he will propose ideas and round up cosponsors.

Does not want to be a career politician.
More like a volunteer firefighter than a celebrity.
Willing to take career ending votes.

Question: What do you think Obama’s mission is?
Response: Won’t quite go out on a limb(augh) and say Obama wants to destroy the USA, but does believe that Barry wants to turn us into a Euro-socialist state.

He’s working the college campuses.

His people say that the ANGER on the street WAY exceeds that from 2010

What about Shaheen? Let me at her!

Would debate Brown any time.

Verdict?
THIS DOG BARKED. Even when he exposed himself to criticism, he didn’t flinch. (And he knew I was taking notes)

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