After a too long hiatus, RaleighDem is back on the blog.  What better way to reemerge on the cyberscene than a first hand report from the Lt. Governor’s Debate held in Raleigh tonight.  The NC College Federation and the Wake County Democratic Party co-hosted tonight’s debate held on the campus of NC State.  Kudos to the College Federation for a first class event that is giving the voters unprecedented access to the potential number 2 leader of State Government.

For bios of the candidates I refer readers to news and observer’s “political profiles” page (http://projects.newsobserver.com/dome/profiles/all).

The debate began with opening statements from each candidate all of whom appropriately acknowledged the tragic murder of UNC-CH student body president Eve Carson.  Dalton’s message was one of experience and knowledge of a variety of issues.  Besse focused his opening comments on equality and environmental stewardship.  Dellinger brought an upbeat message with mention of his record of service as a “top official” at the Department of Justice and Governor’s office.  Smathers emphasized his campaign motto “Local leadership, Statewide,” in a booming voice and folksy mountain manner.  For the most part, the candidates struck themes in these opening statements that reoccurred throughout the debate.

It was my impression that Dalton distinguished himself through knowledge of the issues and experience working in almost every policy area discussed.  Dellinger was on the offensive tonight and those attacks brought the most heated exchanges of the debate.  Dellinger attacked Sen. Dalton for helping craft a budget that cut taxes on the richest North Carolinians, a reference to the State budget passed last year that allowed a temporary increase in the upper income tax bracket to expire.  Dalton defended the decision by saying that allot of small businesses pay tax in that same bracket and those are the folks that keep people employed.

That attack and others by Dellinger brought a scolding from Smathers near the end of the main portion of the debate.  Throughout the evening Dellinger referenced his experience in the Governor’s office, standing up to special interests and working to implement various programs as an aide to Governor Easley.  Smathers asked specifically about the fairness of Dellinger’s claim to participate in the successes of the Easley Administration, but wasn’t he working in the Governor’s office, “when the (now much criticized) mental health reform was signed into law and when the transfer from the state employees pension fund occurred which has now been ruled unconstitutional?” 

It was a key moment in the debate that shined a light on Dellinger and not in a good way.  While the other candidates were referencing real accomplishments, Dellinger seemed to be padding his resume.  In a more subconscious way it highlighted the generational difference between Dellinger and the other candidates.  Dellinger’s young look (and 10-15 year age difference) compared to the other candidates is a serious liability to his campaign.

Dan Besse gave an air of confidence, respect, and thoughtfulness throughout tonight’s debate, but failed to distinguish himself significantly from the other candidates.  At one point, Besse even allowed himself to be skipped over in responding to a question for all candidates.  Besse has allot of great experience, but he doesn’t give the impression that he can really hold his own while presiding over the Senate or in tough legislative negotiations.  Besse says he would use the bully pulpit of the Lt. Governor’s post to highlight inequality in opportunity for North Carolina Citizens and environmental protection, but he does little to give audience members the feeling that he would be able to rally people to his causes.

Public Policy Polling’s latest work suggests that most Democrats are undecided in this race and its not hard to see why.  In a year when voters are looking for change on the national level, the Lt. Governor candidates that are running “outsider” campaigns are less than inspiring:  Dellinger too young and not as experienced as he claims, Besse too out of step with how business gets done and unable to move the populous to a cause, Smathers too local government to make you believe he could get from Lt. Governor’s office on Blount St. to the Legislative Building on Jones St. 

That leaves the obvious “insider,” Walter Dalton, as the most qualified candidate standing.  I can’t help but think that, in this case, for this position, an insider is what we need.