Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Jim Webb spoke to students and visitors at the University yesterday in an effort to gain support for his campaign in the few months left before the Democratic primary, to be held June 13.
The former Navy secretary discussed three issues he said he would address as a senator, ranging from foreign policy to "social fairness" to eliminating the "culture of corruption" plaguing Washington.
According to Webb, his service in Vietnam, his work in Congress and his experience as a journalist and novelist will allow him to approach these issues with a unique perspective, as he has "had a different set of eyes on the problem."
By addressing these issues, Webb hopes to unite Americans who, he believes, have divided into three distinct groups.
"In reality, we're breaking into three Americas," he said. "There are the people at the top, who, with the internationalization of the economy, have never had it so good," he said. Wage earners, he said, are meanwhile earning less money while people in the middle are suffering from job outsourcing.
A week ago, Webb's opponent, Harris Miller, visited Charlottesville and spoke about energy policy reform after taking a tour of the new transit center on the Downtown Mall.
"The major focus of my visit to Charlottesville was the need for a dramatic change in this nation's energy policy," Miller said. "Taking money out of the pockets of working Virginians and padding pockets of rich oil execs has to be changed."
According to Miller, energy policy reform should include imposing higher taxes on oil companies, making price-gouging a federal crime and learning more about opportunities to use alternative energy sources.
During their visits, both candidates expressed a desire to decrease our nation's dependence on foreign oil and addressed the problem of job outsourcing.
Webb stated that he wants "to be the champion of the anti-outsourcing movement," and said he believes that American companies have a duty to support American workers. Furthermore, Webb said that he did not think imposing penalties on companies for outsourcing would be a counteractive solution that would instead drive them out of the country.
According to Miller, it is inaccurate to attribute job outsourcing to companies' desire to find cheap labor sources.
"People think just the labor is cheaper, but if this were true, the jobs would be going to Bangladesh," Miller said. "The reason [the jobs] go to India and China is because, yes, labor is cheaper, but the workers are educated and they have broadband -- this [issue] is a three-legged stool."
As the candidates continue to debate the issues, voters anticipate the outcome of a June primary that politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato said was difficult to predict so early in the campaign.
According to Sabato, while the winner of the primary will certainly have a difficult time facing Republican incumbent George Allen in the fall, Allen is not the clear favorite.
"The Democratic nominee will have a steep uphill climb, but Allen is more vulnerable than usual," Sabato said. "Virginia is becoming somewhat more Democratic, and Allen is perceived as being well to the right, and he's also receiving much criticism for simultaneously running for the Senate and the presidency."
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