Senate Candidates Debate at Homestead

Virginia Democrats chose Vietnam War hero James Webb to challenge Sen. George Allen (R), siding with their party's national leadership, which had declared the former Republican to be the only candidate with a chance to beat Allen in November. ( Read More .)

When asked how Saturday's debate went, the Post reported ,What was Hezbollah thinking of when it abducted two Israeli soldiers and provoked a punishing response that has been creating orphans and bringing down buildings in Lebanon? Hezbollah scholar Amal Saad-Ghorayeb believes the movement had envisaged a response of this kind. It is forcing Israel to realize that Hezbollah is not just a guerrilla group but a popular social movement that cannot be eradicated without destroying the entire Shiite community. Saad Ghorayeb, an assistant professor at the Lebanese American University and the author of "Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion" was online Monday, July 24, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss her Sunday Outlook article, Hezbollah's Apocalypse Now, (Post, July 23, 2006) Webb said: "Well, I was a boxer for eight years, and when you first walk out of the ring, you don't know which ones hit him and which ones hit you."

Allen, said he would "leave it for others" to judge whether Webb had a sufficient handle on the issues.

Washington Post Metro Political Editor Robert Barnes was online Monday, July 24, at noon ET to discuss the first debate between U.S. Sen. George Allen (R) and his Democratic challenger, James Webb. He also took questions on the upcoming fall elections.

Coverage:

Analysis: Webb Isn't Fitting the Challenger Mold

'Virginia Values' vs. 'Fresh Eyes'

Virginia Elections 2006

Virginia Primary Results

Blog: The Richmond Report

A Transcript Follows.

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Robert Barnes: Good day and welcome. We're going to be chatting about Virginia politics and the commonwealth's hot Senate race between George Allen and James Webb. But we can also talk about the Senate race across the river in Maryland, if you'd like, or anything else about the region's politics. If you'll excuse the typos, we'll move along as quickly as we can.

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Washington, D.C.: What will Webb have to do to take the title from the champion? Staying even won't be enough will it?

Robert Barnes: No, it won't. Webb is clearly the underdog and he needs to give Virginians a reason to drop a man they've elected both as governor and senator. Webb thinks there are plenty of reasons: Allen's support of the Iraq war, his loyalty to President Bush and a number of social issues on which they differ. Webb is attempting to portray himself as an independent-minded leader and Allen as a follower. But what he has to do first is raise a lot of money to get those messages out there, and he is at a huge disadvantage there.

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Bremo Bluff, Va.: Was this recent debate more of an opportunity for Allen to measure Webb's ability?

Can the fact that Allen is gunning for the GOP nomination for President prove to be a liability?

Any point in Webb attempting to box in Allen by getting him to vow not to diss Va. voters and run for President?

Robert Barnes: It is an interesting question about whether Allen's presidential ambitions hurt him with voters. Many Democrats hope so, although Webb has told me he's not sure it is a liability for Allen. Perhaps people like that one of their senators is mentioned as being capable of running the country. By the way, Webb said at the debate that he has no interesting in running for president.

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Arlington, Va.:

I wonder how far Allen had to dig for that silly question to Webb about "Craney Island." I've been followed Virginia politics closely since Howell "Keep the Big Boys Honest" Howell and I've never heard of the place. If that's the best Allen can do for Virginia, we're in deep trouble.

Robert Barnes: There's another question about this. I'll publish it and answer below.

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Richmond, Va.:

I was surprised that Jim Webb fell into Allen's trap question about the Hampton Roads Port project. Even a novice should have anticipated a question like that. That was pure Dick Wadhams, and Webb better watch out. What did you think of Allen's question and Webb's response?

Robert Barnes: One of Allen's strategies in the debate was to make Webb look like an outsider, and ill-prepared to represent Virginia. It always seems effective when the challenger has to ask the incumbent what he's talking about. And I'm sure that it played big in the Hampton Roads area.

That said, I also think voters recognize a trap question when they hear one. And all politicians have had a moment when they didn't look as prepared as they should have. I remember Allen not knowing who Ben Bernanke was, months after his confirmation hearings to replace Alan Greenspan as chairman of the Federal Reserve. And I believe I recall a current president flunking a heads of state test during his first campaign.

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Portland, Ore.:

Thanks for responding to this comment:

Senator Allen is a potential Republican candidate for President in 2008, which explains why bumping him off with a Democratic veteran is crucial, symbolically and as a test of strategy. But Senator Allen, a.k.a "Dubya Redux," is also one of the weaker candidates. Taking Allen out of the running makes the race easier for McCain, Guiliani, Romney, and Brownback, which, in the long-run harms Democrats because those are the men who can surmount the Hillary. At the very least, a defense of Allen's seat in 2006 that depletes his war chest shoves Allen to the back of the pack. It seems Democrats have yet to hear of the term "Pyrrhic victory".

Robert Barnes: I'm not sure that all Democrats would agree with your assessment of Allen's national appeal. But even if they did, I think they would opt for returning the Senate to Democratic control and winning a high-profile red state that they are hoping is becoming more welcoming to a Democrat running for federal office.

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Arlington, Va.: OK. What are "Virginia Values" exactly and how do they differ from "Texas Values" or "Idaho Values" or "New Jersey Values"? More importantly, why didn't Webb call Allen on this during the debate?

Robert Barnes: There's another question on this, so please keep reading

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Arlington, Va.: I was intrigued by Senator Allen's reference to himself as supporting Virginia values (whatever these are) as opposed to James Webb's "Hollywood values." Although I am sure that he means I am conservative and Webb is liberal, it is interesting that Allen grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles and somehow acquired a Southern accent after the age of 20 when he transferred to UVA.

I do note that virtually all Virginia politicians were not born in Virginia. Eric Cantor and Doug Wilder are the only ones I could find.

Robert Barnes: Webb is a newcomer to Virginia politics, although he isn't really a newcomer to Virginia. But Allen wants to portray his opponent as the outsider. He made several references to Webb, who among many careers has been a novelist, screenwriter and movie producer, as living in a world of "fiction" and being a "Hollywood producer." He even told Webb that if they two ever had a beer, it would have to be a Coors or Bud, because they are produced in Virginia.

As for why Webb didn't call him on it, this was the first major debate for Webb and there were a couple of times I thought he missed a chance to put Allen on defense.

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Clifton, Va.: I am surprised that Webb's spouse wasn't an issue for the far left and NOW supporters in the Democratic party. I have met MR Webb and he strikes me as the typical military man who wants [a] wife who is not heard and agrees with everything he says. He couldn't find one in [the]U.S. so he married one from overseas. Quite typical especially for Marines.

Robert Barnes: Wow. Hard to count all the stereotypes in just one post, Clifton. I believe that Mr. Webb's wife was raised in the Midwest. I do know that she is a corporate lawyer with a degree from Cornell law school.

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San Francisco:

Good day, Mr. Barnes. Thanks for choosing my question and for chatting with us this morning. First of all, a note to washingtonpost.com: the links posted in the chat announcement don't go to coverage of the debate. Is there any Post coverage of the debate? Here's my question for you, Mr. Barnes: with George Felix Allen Jr. tied down in Virginia defending his Senate seat from Jim Webb's unexpectedly strong challenge, what GOP Presidential hopeful will benefit?

washingtonpost.com: 'Virginia Values' vs. 'Fresh Eyes'

Analysis: Webb, the Restrained Challenger

Robert Barnes: That's an awfully good question for which I don't have an equally good response. Some believe that Mitt Romney is moving quickly to establish himself in those early states in the nominating process. But I'd add that while Allen is not as free to travel as he once was, he has a very aggressive cadre of consultants and party insiders who will make sure that he remains in the mix, even as he campaigns in Virginia.

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Fairfax, Va.: Did Webb disappoint all those who voted for him on the basis that he would be a feisty appearing candidate, a real fighter?

Robert Barnes: Even though I love this stuff, I have to caution against drawing too much from a midsummer debate that very few people saw. Certainly there are folks who think that Webb needed to be more aggressive against Allen, but as I wrote on Saturday, going on the attack may not be in Webb's make-up. He spoke several times during the debate about his aversion to what he called "slash-and-burn" style politics. But I think you are right that only a very aggressive campaign is going to challenge George Allen.

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Blue Collar, Mich.: I am not all that familiar with Va. politics, but wouldn't the national Democratic Party swamp Mr. Webb with money? I would think he could really make a run for it if the money were on par with Senator Allen's.

Is the state's demographics deep red or is there any issues that could bring the color blue to a bit greater prominence?

Robert Barnes: Virginia is a fascinating state politically. The general assembly is controlled by Republicans, both senators and eight of 11 members of Congress are GOP. But Mark Warner was elected governor in 2001, and Tim Kaine in 2005, and both of the other statewide races were very competitive. Democrats have hopes for Virginia.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee leadership abandoned tradition in supporting Webb during the primary, and have pledged help. But remember that the committee's job is to return the Senate to Democratic control, and it will spend its money on the races it thinks provides the best chances of making that happen.

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Vienna, Va.: Thanks for taking these questions.

On Saturday, did the candidates and the media at the UVA event already know about the new WSJ/Zogby poll and Rasmussen poll?

If yes, did those numbers play into the event, and did it help/hurt the candidates at the event?

If not, then do you think these polls and the Saturday event make it very difficult for Webb to gain traction?

Thanks again.

Robert Barnes: I personally haven't seen the polls, but I take it from your question that they show Allen with a larger lead than he had before? Don't think they matter much. And Allen's campaign manager Dick Wadhams and Zogby have been in a big, um, spitting match about the accuracy of his poll.

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Newport News, Va.: Recently the Newport News, VA Daily Press reported that Allen has about 15-16 times the cash in his war chest as Webb. Is that Allen's money for his senate re-election or can it be used for his main ambition, which is that of seeking the GOP presidential nomination?

Robert Barnes: I believe that Allen may use what is left over to pursue another office, which is one reason Democrats would like for him to have to spend it all.

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Alexandria, Va.: What is Webb's position on embryonic stem cell research?

In 2001, I e-mailed Allen about this and he sent me a letter supporting it. Then I see that he'd changed his mind and now is opposed. I suppose that the religious right's influence on him is overwhelming.

Robert Barnes: There are a couple of questions on this, some written by folks I suspect already know the candidates' positions. But it does appear that Allen has changed his position on this, and in 2001 indicated he would support federal funding of embryonic stem cell research on embryos that would otherwise be destroyed. He voted against lifting those restrictions last week, though, and said federal taxpayers should not have to pay for such research.

Webb supports federal funding of the research, and has cited it as one of the ways he believes Allen is out of the mainstream. John Warner split with Allen on this vote.

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Henderson, Nev.: Why isn't Webb hammering away at the ultra-hawkish Allen's lack of military service? And why didn't Allen serve? Did he have "other priorities," like Cheney?

Robert Barnes: Webb's campaign has certainly tried to make an issue of it, with mocking references to Allen working at a "dude ranch" while Webb was being wounded in Vietnam. The Allen campaign says Allen received a college deferment, like many at the time, and then had a high number in the draft lottery. I think you will see the Allen campaign being quite respectful of Webb's military service.

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Bethesda:

George Allen has made statements in the past that he is bored in the Senate. How much do you think that will get played as an attack ad for Webb?

Robert Barnes: I've got a feeling Allen regrets making those remarks, even though he couldn't help himself in the debate, and pulled out a favorite one about things moving in the Senate with the speed of a wounded sea slug, or something like that. But if Allen isn't crazy about the Senate, he does like campaigning, and I think he believes his aggressive campaign will remove any doubts in voters' minds.

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Robert Barnes: I'm afraid that's all the time we have. Thanks so much for your questions. Let's do this again.

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