2 debates later, only flaws stand out (FL-5 race, Sager v. Nugent)

LAND O' LAKES - Two debates later, both Republicans chasing that House of Representatives dream are still standing.

This modest evaluation may be the best that can be said for either Sheriff Richard Nugent or Everyman Jason Sager, whose unlikely rivalry conjures less Lincoln vs. Douglas or Dempsey vs. Tunney than Phineas vs. Ferb - one fiery, inspirational and startling, the other plodding, predictable and safe. <snip>

Nugent, in his third term as Hernando County's top cop, is the establishment guy, a technician with demonstrated organizational and executive skills. His even-keel personality suggests moderation and prudence, and while these qualities are valued in any law enforcement official, they may work against him in this year when politics burn white-hot.

Sager sparks like a downed power line. He is eagerness personified, the spirit of this once-in-a-generation election season made flesh. His focus and opposition to compromise remind some admirers of Patrick Henry at the Virginia Convention and others of an overzealous preacher at a summer revival. <snip>

These are unfortunate drawbacks, because as Sager demonstrated - especially in the first Pasco debate June 15, sponsored by the Pasco County Republican Executive Committee - his passion for a founders-centric interpretation of the Constitution energizes Republicans and a surging majority of independents recoiling from Washington's runaway excesses.

For all his good-guy competence, Nugent does not inspire enthusiasm. Confidence, perhaps. And a quiet certainty. But despite a marked improvement in terms of poise and command of facts from the first debate to the second, his ideological core remains evasive.

A peacemaker eager to forge coalitions across the aisle, Nugent almost certainly would disappoint District 5 Republicans hoping their representative would swell the ranks of staunch conservatives such as Mike Pence and Michele Bachmann.

Tom Jackson, the author of this piece, was the host for the two debates in Pasco County this past week (last Thursday and this Wednesday).

His opinion here is that both candidates have some serious flaws. And he is right about this.

But this is a year when being the "incumbent," even by proxy, will not be popular. He points to Nugent's entry into the race as a big weight. But he doesn't continue with Nugent's first week of campaigning, a week he spent in Washington DC listening to power brokers and lobbyists and collecting a pile of campaign cash (mostly from leadership PACs that usually only support incumbents in primaries). For a full story on the finance aspects, click the RINO sheriff image in my sig below.

BTW, check back at the source link for this after a day or two. The comments area on this Hernando Today site usually develop into an interesting debate.

PS. Please steal my signature. Copy the html code shown on my profile page. Feel free to paste it into your own posts to help spread the word.

Sheriff Richard B. Rich Nugent for Congress

I stand with Jason Sager in Florida's 5th Congressional District.

To get my profile and sig, click the "cc2k" link \/

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