Few sparks flew between three U.S. Senate candidates during a debate at Knight Law School Wednesday.
Democrats Steve Novick and Candy Neville and independent John Frohnmayer debated for a little more than an hour at an event sponsored by the student chapter of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and other student law groups.
Novick and Frohnmayer acknowledged that they agree on most issues, aside from Frohnmayer’s constant criticism of the two-party system of which Novick is a part.
“I believe our political system is so badly broken it cannot be fixed by the Republicans or Democrats,” Frohnmayer said.
Frohnmayer has been a member of both parties, including a stint as the head of the National Endowment for the Arts under then-President George H. W. Bush. He is now an independent, and he said that if he is elected it could inspire a wave of other independents elected to the Senate from across the country.
“If we had six in there by 2010, we could hold the power because independent support would be needed to pass any legislation,” he said.
Frohnmayer said the only political party in Washington is “the party of money.”
Novick replied that it is “not the party of money, but the party of fear.”
“There was a thorough bipartisan majority for rolling back our civil liberties,” Novick said, citing the 99-to-one vote in favor of the USA Patriot Act in 2001.
“I don’t know that more independents would have changed that,” Novick said. “Those people were voting with the party of fear.”
Neville, a local realtor whose candidacy is based largely on her opposition to the Iraq war, said that she is “everything Mr. Frohnmayer is looking for.”
“I’m spurned by my party, I’m poor and I’m courageous,” she said.
Neville said the U.S. is in the “worst situation I’ve ever seen in my life” and described herself as “sick and tired of being ashamed.”
The three candidates support universal health care, though Novick would accept something other than single-payer coverage. All support comprehensive sex education, though Neville said she was “against handing out condoms because if you’re not capable of buying them, maybe you shouldn’t be doing this.”
Novick attended the University as an undergraduate. Frohnmayer, the brother of University President Dave Frohnmayer, got a law degree at the University and was editor-in-chief of the law review.
Novick spokesman Jake Weigler said Novick has been ahead of Jeff Merkley, his chief rival for the Democratic nomination, in recent polls, but acknowledged some voters have not yet decided.
“Among people who are making up their minds, we’re ahead,” he said. “I’d say we’re feeling cautiously optimistic.”
As for the civil tone between Novick and Frohnmayer, Weigler said “sharper elbows” could come out after the primary. “But our sights will be set on Gordon Smith,” he added.
Law students Andrew Kraushaar and Evan Wickersham both said they would support Novick in the Democratic primary.
“I’m looking for someone more on the fringes of the Democratic party,” Kraushaar said. He said Merkley was “too mainstream.”
“The Democratic candidates who have run against Smith (in past elections) haven’t done anything,” he said. “I think that shows we need someone on the cutting edge.”
Wickersham agreed, saying Novick was the most viable general election candidate.
“If Merkley wins the nomination, I like Frohnmayer (in the general election),” Wickersham said. But he also expressed reservations about Frohnmayer’s candidacy.
“I think it’s unfortunate to see someone who has the values of the Democratic party like Frohnmayer run as an independent and subvert the party,” he said.
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