Congress hopefuls debate

Incumbent John Barrow, a democrat; and republican John Stone took questions that GCSU faculty and students prepared for the pair’s first debate. A student panel was on hand to ask questions, while senior rhetoric major Paul Besham served as moderator.

Over the course of an hour, the candidates debated topics such as healthcare, the economy, education, and the war on terror.
Barrow, from Savannah, has spent the last four years as the representative from the district. Stone, of Augusta, repeatedly declared that it was time for a change in the seat and that Barrow had accomplished little in his two terms in congress.

“We need a change after four years of my opponent in the Congress. we have an ecomomy that is collapsing on us.
There is an open revolt against the people of this country,” Stone said. “Most places in the world, when there is a revolt going on it’s the people that revolt’s against the government. But here, our government is revolting against us. our federal government has ignored the wishes of the majority.”

The Twelfth District spans 22 counties throughout the state, ranging from Augusta down to Savannah and across to Milledgeville and Vidalia.

Students watched the hour long of intense debate between the candidates. Pre-debate, many students anticipated the reforms and platforms each candidate had to offer and many students had specific issues on mind.

“Our local economics should be addressed for the most part, to find out how candidates will help the citizens locally to find jobs or help start a business,” Melanie Rhoden, a senior political science major, said. “They also need to maintain nonprofit and social services organizations, because with budget cuts those will be the first to go.”

Many Students voiced the same concerns no matter what party they favored.

“I don’t support a particular candidate, but I lean republican and conservative,” Faith Caigle, freshman special education major, said. “As a college student who will one day need to buy a house, I feel economics need to be addressed.”

The debate focused, for the most part, on issues concerning that of the economy and energy due in part to the primacy of the issues.

“The candidates need to address renewable energy, and I’d have to be crazy if I didn’t say economics too,” Anthony Votsis, a freshman political science major said. ” I’m asking for a lot, but I expect a lot.”

Other topics explored included the candidates’ stance on education.

“I think what we need to do is that government needs to provide support…as far as higher education is concerned,” Stone said. “We need to lower our education cost… lower the cost of loans. The more we can send to get an education, the better the road is to making our country the best it can be.”

Many students, however, felt as if the debate neither swayed or solidified their view on one candidate. Barrow, a member of a small group known as “Blue-dog Democrats”, calls himself a candidate that everyone can relate to. He holds more traditional values compared to those who are northern Democrats. Stone used this to his advanatge asserting many times that Barrow switches from time to time supposedly catering his viewpoint to either liberal or conservative.

Some students felt perplexed and undecided even after the debate.

“John Barrow’s done a good job, I think that John Stone would do an equally good job. John Stone would even out the majority party in congress,” Joel Graham, junior economics major, said. “Though, it seems better to have opposing parties in the presidential seat and congressional majority. When you work across the aisle, often times it can be the best method.”