Jayne: Sound bites go only so far - The Columbian

Greg Jayne, Opinion page editor Photo

It was wonkish at times, which Grammarist.com defines as “studiously concerned with minutiae.” And while that doesn’t always make for exciting video, campaigns should require more depth and thoughtfulness than “Make America Great Again.” Policy should matter more than sound bites.

At least, that was the thinking when The Columbian’s Editorial Board met recently with Jaime Herrera Beutler and Carolyn Long for a remote interview. You might have heard of them; they are running for representative from Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, just as they did two years ago. And because we are more interested in policy than catchphrases, the discussion took deep dives into tax policy and health care policy and racial justice.

It might not be as visceral as a political rally, but it is worth watching for those who wish to make an informed decision in the general election.

Both candidates are smart, articulate and capable of effectively serving this region. Perhaps most important in this age of divisiveness, neither is an ideologue — although both will try to paint their opponent as such. And while Herrera Beutler and Long both make good points on various issues, the devil often is in the details.

Take budgeting and taxes and the federal deficit. Despite a robust economy before the coronavirus pandemic, that deficit was on pace to be about $1 trillion this year. Which is something Republicans, including Herrera Beutler, pretended to care about when a Democrat was in the White House. Now they happily pass along the bill for a national debt that is more than $26 trillion and pretend that everything is hunky-dory.

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Jayne: Sound bites go only so far - The Columbian
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