NC-02: The Frank & Binky Show (Where’s Renee?)

download (66)WRAL’s “On The Record” television program tried to provide a well-balanced look at the upcoming 2nd district primary.  Jim Goodmon, Inc. had David Crabtree, Laura Leslie and Binky decked out in their Sunday best to try and get to the bottom of the whole thing.

Crabtree made a point of telling viewers that they tried to get incumbent Renee Ellmers to come on the air with them — but she refused to participate in studio or via satellite.  After the Laura Ingraham episode — and that on-camera kerfluffle with her own constituents — I’d keep Renee off the air too.  Video has not been her friend this election year. 

binker rollHer Tea Party-aligned primary challenger, Frank Roche, was more than happy to go it alone — swatting down the leftist line of questioning from WRAL’s terrible threesome.

Roche touted his background in economics and finance as a factor that will make him verydownload (57) effective in dealing with the problems in Washington.  He identified the concept of real per capita gross domestic product (GDP) as a very credible economic indicator.  Roche said, currently, our real per capita GDP is at its lowest point since World War II.

He also expressed concern about Ellmer’s impassioned advocacy for amnesty for illegal aliens.  Leslie spoke up for Ellmers — saying that she favored “a pathway to citizenship” and “not amnesty.”

Crabtree brought up the old talking point about these immigrants filling jobs Americans won’t take.  Roche described that as unfortunate for an era of high unemployment, and blamed it on a cultural failing in contemporary American culture.  He noted that the flood of illegals in the country, willing to work for ‘peanuts’, gives employers little to no reason to offer competitive salaries that average Americans can live on and support their families with.

Roche said he is all for letting in immigrants who have special talents that can benefit the US economy.  But he said Congress needs to be careful in playing around with the concept of citizenship, which is granted to us by The Constitution.

Roche got asked how he would approach ObamaCare — if it has been helping SOME people.  The challenger said he would “vote to repeal it the very first chance I got.”

Roche said he recognized there are a lot of problems in health care delivery.  He attributed them to increased government regulation more than any intrinsic problems with the industry itself.