The first query to start the ultimate televised debate between Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl and Democratic rival Maura Healey had nothing to do with Massachusetts.
“Did Joe Biden win the 2020 election?” WCVB politics reporter Ed Harding requested each candidates, beginning with Healey.
“Yes,” Attorney General Healey mentioned, with no hesitation.
“Absolutely,” former state Rep. Diehl mentioned with equal alacrity. “Of course Joe Biden is our President. Our 401Ks are becoming 201Ks.”
The pair met Thursday night time for his or her second and apparently final televised assembly forward of the Nov. 8 basic election, in a debate hosted by WCVB, the Boston Globe, WBUR, and Univision-TV.
The debate between Healey and Diehl consisted of conversations in regards to the 2020 election, abortion and unlawful immigration, however didn’t spend a horrible period of time specializing in points explicit to the commonwealth.
The Corner Office hopefuls didn’t contact on the issues plaguing the MBTA, for instance, till greater than 40 minutes into their one-hour assembly. They touched on the state’s longstanding housing disaster however briefly.
Despite this, Harding’s opening query was uncharacteristically poignant this election cycle, when nationwide politics have so clearly bled into native contests.
Diehl’s response to the 2020 query, his saying that Biden is president, comes following and regardless of his long-standing said perception that there have been sufficient issues with the 2020 election to marvel on the consequence.
He’s former President Donald Trump’s chosen candidate to exchange outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker, and it’s Trump’s claims that the election was stolen that Diehl has basically parroted, in a single type or one other, for months. No court docket has acknowledged these claims.
Diehl used the talk as a chance to distance himself from choices made this summer season by the U.S. Supreme Court and within the numerous states proscribing a lady’s proper to decide on an abortion, saying he would, as governor, merely implement the legal guidelines of the Bay State as written. The state handed broad abortion protections following the court docket’s choice to overturn the 1973 case legalizing abortion nationally.
“When Roe V. Wade came down with the Dobbs decision, I agreed with it,” he mentioned. “My job is to protect women’s health care issues and I will do that.”
Healey mentioned there isn’t a motive to consider Diehl when, utilizing Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh for instance, Republicans have so usually mentioned one factor publicly and completed one other when it got here time to make coverage.
“I just don’t believe that,” Healey mentioned.”This is a race the place my opponent celebrated when Roe was overturned. He celebrated.”
“My opponent thinks that the government is the solution to everything,” Diehl mentioned to shut out the talk. “My goal is to provide you with more freedom.”
“I’d be honored to be your governor,” Healey mentioned. “We are going to go to great places in this state, working together.”
The debate was nicely moderated, however that’s maybe an impact of Diehl’s power, which started low and didn’t enhance because the dialog carried on. He stumbled at factors, apparently not sure of his solutions, whereas Healey appeared ready.
He’s additionally at present trailing Healey within the polls by greater than 20 factors.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”