September 04, 2024 10:46 AM UTC

Boebert Challenged Vigorously In First Debate, Vows No More

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• by: Colorado Pols

Yesterday, quasi-incumbent carpetbagging Rep. Lauren Boebert faced off against her Democratic opponent Trisha Calvarese in a debate hosted by the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation and the conservative-leaning Colorado Springs Gazette. As we discussed last week, this debate was not broadcast on television and was not open to the public, severely limiting its value to voters.

But by all accounts, Calvarase took the fight ably to Boebert on a range of issues that affect the district, putting Boebert on the defensive for her votes against major legislation, often including line-items Boebert falsely tries to take credit for. 9NEWS’ Marissa Solomon:

Calvarese called out Boebert’s record by saying she voted against spending measures that would help Coloradans. Boebert defended her votes in Congress, saying she won’t vote for an omnibus legislation even if she might support parts of it.

“What about cuts to the VA?” Calvarese asked. “That would hurt veterans.”

Denver7:

“The Inflation Reduction Act actually has a ton of potential to bring excellent, high-paying quality jobs to our district,” said Calvarese. “We just need somebody who’s willing to roll up their sleeves and actually make some progress happen.”

Boebert defended her vote.

“We all know that did not reduce inflation,” Boebert said. “It was $344 billion towards so-called renewable energy, which is extremely unreliable, and you have the federal government propping up one industry over the other and creating an imbalance in the market.”

Readers will recall that the Inflation Reduction Act became a major problem for Boebert last fall when President Joe Biden toured the CS Wind plant in Pueblo and challenged Boebert to defend her vote against jobs in her (then) district. Boebert was forced to concede she was “very proud of the work that CS Winds is doing there in Pueblo and the jobs that they’re creating” but that the bill was “a complete scam.” Taking credit for benefits to her district that Boebert voted against was just one of a number of big liabilities Boebert was carrying into her re-election campaign last fall, factoring in her decision to flee to a safer district.

Some of Calvarese’s strongest hits on Boebert came when the subject turned to veterans:

“I think if you’re going to be ‘America First,’ you can’t put the veterans last,” said Calvarese. “You voted against care for veterans exposed to cancer-causing toxins and burn pits during war. We definitely have different priorities because I believe we should take care of our veterans always.” [Pols emphasis]

Boebert said she’s proud of her record on veterans’ issues…

If you set aside the need to be factually accurate, Boebert is quick enough on her feet to hold her own in a debate setting, and there were no earth-shattering moments of humiliation owing to Boebert’s ability to rhetorically power through just about any criticism. With that said, Calvarese clearly had the upper hand in this debate, and as Westword reports, that more or less ensures Boebert will not be putting herself in this position again:

“My opponent had her debate today. Apparently, she’s feeling that she didn’t do very well if she’s already looking for the second,” Boebert told reporters. “I debate Democrats on a daily basis; it’s my job. Right now, I am focused on Coloradans and how to improve the quality of their lives. … I’m going to continue doing what I do best, and that’s getting out on the road and in front of voters to hear from them directly.”

That’s some clever reverse psychology, but in reality it’s Calvarese who called for multiple televised debates long before yesterday’s event–because Calvarese knows, just like Boebert does, that all cross-examination of Boebert’s record is bad for Boebert.