One of my opponents in the June 2 GOP primary for U.S. House in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District (INCD5), is Kent Abernathy, who apparently issued a challenge to any candidate who wants to debate him.
I accept that challenge - and we can debate via Skype or Zoom or one of those devices. If any other candidate accepts the challenge, I don’t believe it would be much of a “debate.” Implicit in the notion of a debate is a clash on issues.
The other candidates for the GOP nomination in INCD5 seem to want to out-do each other in fawning over the incompetent who currently occupies the Oval Office (“dt”). Mr Abernathy seems to be amongst such a group.
dt has bungled the pandemic and had no business being ... well, in business, and also the Oval Office. We need to nullify the policies he has carried out, like the dictator he wants to be, by Presidential fiat.
On his campaign website are photographs that include Mr Abernathy standing next to Pence - in whose administration Mr Abernathy served. Predominantly, though photos on that website relate to Mr Abernathy’s military career.
Mr Abernathy said about U.S. military presence in Afghanistan: “‘We need to remain committed to the Middle East.’” WFYI, 12/07/19. Mr Abernathy implies we have a clear purpose in Afghanistan - we don’t.
Worse, Mr Abernathy does not understand geography, and not just that Afghanistan’s terrain has impeded other nations’ armies for centuries, but Mr Abernathy needs to understand: AFGHANISTAN IS NOT PART OF THE MIDDLE EAST.
If Mr Abernathy believes we “need to remain committed to the Middle East,” it would be good if he knew what countries comprise the Middle East. Otherwise he might expand our forces far beyond that area of the World.
Mr Abernathy fails to understand: our oversized military makes us less secure. Our undeclared wars have killed a lot of people. An example: we created the security threat from Iran in the early 1950s when we helped overthrow its elected government.
Mr Abernathy also is pro-gun, anti-choice and seems to want to kiss the derriere of dt as much as the other GOP candidates in the June 2 primary for INCD5. The most important job for any House Rep is to act as a check on the Executive, as The Framers sought.
I happily accept Mr Abernathy’s challenge. We can discuss an impartial moderator. On the other hand, if Mr Abernathy wants only to “debate” a GOP candidate who seeks to out-trump everyone: debate is not what Mr Abernathy actually wants.
I am Mark Small, a GOP candidate for INCD5. I am proud to be progressive, pro-choice, pro-environment and antiwar - and that includes the war on drugs. We need to legalize all drugs. I approve of this blog. Hell, I wrote it.