When in doubt, lie lie lie

Okay,rhat WRAL debate was RIDICULOUS.

You can catch it here if you haven't seen it yet.

I'm really REALLY glad I didn't watch this debate before going to the one in Greensboro this past Friday night, or before dealing with those angry Fred Smith fans on Saturday (more details to come in another post very soon).  I'm seriously very angry about what I saw in that WRAL debate.

You expect to see the candidates attacking each other on their positions, especially this late in the race -- what you don't expect, however, is to have one candidate OPENLY LYING about something that happened less than a week earlier.

Let me elaborate: about 20 minutes into the debate, during a discussing on taxes, Fred Smith accuses Pat McCrory of stating that he was "happy to raise taxes" on the people of Charlotte.  Immediately, the moderator asks for clarification, and Smith again tells him that during the last debate they had in Greensboro on Saturday night, McCrory had stated he was happy to raise taxes on "his" people.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa, what?  Greensboro debate?  Saturday night?  I was THERE.  I was AT that debate, and I transcribed the ENTIRE event.  I sure as hell don't remember hearing that.

In the WRAL debate, McCrory laughs that he must have missed that part of the debate, and asks Orr and Graham for backup.  Orr just holds up his hands as a sign to keep him out of it (like Orr would have been on his side anyway.... Orr's an ass, in case you weren't already aware), and Graham tells the moderator that he certainly did not recall the exchange.  Smith again states that in a discussion about the arena in Charlotte, McCrory stated he was "happy to raise that tax" to build the arena.

So much calmer than I would ever be when someone sitting 2 feet away from me was telling lies about me to the entire state, McCrory responded "It's just sad this is the way the state government politicians are acting.  We didn't raise the tax to build the arena, so there's no way I did say that."

I pulled out my little notebook from that very debate which they were discussing, and confirmed that my initial suspicions were correct -- there was never any mention of the arena, let alone McCrory being "happy" to raise taxes.

I can't believe the gall of this man.  I know that he's trying to appeal to the Religious Right by way of his portrayal of himself as "THE social conservative", but this sure isn't how I was taught that Christians are supposed to act.  Earlier today, a woman told me on her blog that she had to "vote her conscience" in the primary (she was endorsing Smith, and she couldn't quite explain to me why it was that she was so opposed to McCrory), but I'm not sure how anyone's conscience could be telling them to vote for this guy.

It's seriously disturbing.  Are there any limits to this guy's deceit?  What other kinds of stunts does he have up his sleeve that he's waiting to pull out before the primary? 

It's going to be a long two weeks.