The US Senate debate on Arkansas PBS, Wednesday, October 14, was very one-sided… because only one candidate participated. Libertarian Senate candidate Ricky Dale Harrington was interviewed for an hour when outgoing GOP Senator Tom Cotton declined to join the forum.
” I’m a little disappointed. I couldn’t wait to look him in the face and talk about the issues and have an intellectual debate on the policy, ”Harrington said of Senator Cotton’s no-show. “He’s on Fox News, I don’t know how many times a week – two or three times a week?” – but he can’t come here to speak to the people of Arkansas. Why would you want to support someone who does this?
There is no Democratic challenger in the race as Josh Mahony has submitted his candidacy, but abandoned hours after the closing of the deposit period in 2019.
Harrington answered questions from panelists, including George Jared of Talk Business & Politics and Steve Brawner, TB&P associate, during the hour-long session. Donna Terrell, along with Fox 16 from central Arkansas, was also on the panel.
Harrington said the state and the country are reeling from the economic and health crisis that has hit the United States due to COVID-19. Recalling former President Bill Clinton, Harrington said in his opening statement:
“Right now in our country, we are suffering. We are suffering emotionally, we are suffering physically, mentally, we are currently suffering from the uncertainty of what is happening in our country, ”he said. “I want you to know, I feel your pain.”
Preacher and former prison chaplain, Harrington has vowed to solve the problems.
“What we need right now is someone who is going to unite this country,” he said.
Although Senator Cotton was not present at the debate, Harrington drew contrasts with his challenger. Harrington said he disagreed with Cotton on his approach to criminal justice.
“… His statement about the US criminal justice system – that we don’t have an over-incarceration problem, but we do have an under-incarceration problem. The United States holds about 25% of the world’s prison population. The state of Arkansas has one of the highest per capita incarceration rates … Our criminal justice system has been monetized. Bottom line: We know that people do bad things and that they should be punished for what they have done, but there should be no innocent people in prison. And surely no innocent person should be sentenced to death. “
When asked something he agreed with Cotton on, Harrington replied that he couldn’t name anything.
“To be honest I can’t think of one, to be perfectly honest and straightforward,” Harrington said. “I respect Senator Cotton as a human being. When it comes to ideas, when it comes to actions, when it comes to words, we are diametrically opposed.
On the issue of health care, Harrington said he has “personally benefited” from the Affordable Care Act. He said those who call for Medicare for All and those who want to change the ACA should find common ground.
“Why not modify it rather than replace it,” he asked. “My vision is to try to bring them together for something that benefits those who want public health care and those who would like to purchase private insurance.”
Asked about the national debt and how to keep federal government spending under control, Harrington said he would start with cutting military spending.
“Whenever I talk about the military budget, it is not the soldiers, the airmen, the sailors, the Marines, who put themselves in danger to serve this country. We need them and their morale to be as high as possible – ready to come out and defend America. But we spend a lot of money on defense contracts, ”he said, referring to the weapon systems of companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. “We have to look at this, how much money we are spending on it and what we can reduce.
Harrington also shared his thoughts on topics such as the powers of war, equal rights, abortion, the death penalty, the COVID-19 response, climate change, bipartisanship and police funding.
You can see his full appearance in the debate in the video below.
