Thread by @VABVOX

Hating this debate, which reminds me yet again that Philadelphians are so much more progressive than mid-state. Malcolm Kenyatta even looks like he's from a different century than Conor Lamb.
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Kenyatta speaking out on green energy--like Biden-Harris. Lamb speaking out for fracking. Yikes.
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Lamb doesn't answer the question. Kenyatta talks about the groundwater and about environmental racism. He also invokes how Josh Shapiro has been prosecuting fracking.
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Phew! Kenyatta says Fetterman should explain--or tweet from home--why he used to have HIS green POV and now has Lamb's Manchin view.
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Hard to imagine watching this debate and not be a Kenyatta supporter.
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Lamb says Keyatta's position (which is Biden's position, btw) is "simple-minded" (!) and then invokes Ukraine as a rationale for fracking. Kenyatta has so many facts at his fingertips.
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Lamb and Kenyatta agree that Fetterman is a flip-flopper on this issue. #pasen

It's really stunning that Fetterman isn't here and he should lose some momentum in the polls for not being here today. There's no excuse.
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Kenyatta talks about how he is working in PA legislature on cyber security.
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Lamb says it's important to present reasoned discourse on these issues and notes that Fetterman and Oz do not. He's of course correct on this.
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War Powers Act is a big question.
Kenyatta says that people are serving multiple tours, talking about a close friend. He says Congress must be at least as brave as his friend serving when these issues come up.
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Statehood for Puerto Rico and DC.
Kenyatta speaks passionately for PR statehood and invokes Trump tossing paper towels at people after Hurricane Maria.
Lamb says PR statehood hasn't come up for a vote because of Dems being of two minds. Both MK and CL are pro-PR statehood.
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I would note, which neither candidate did, DC has been counted in the Electoral College since 1961 with the same number of votes as five states, so it's inexcusable that DC is not a state.
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National Debt Ceiling.
"We have a responsibility to pay our bills," says Kenyatta. "When the govt shuts down real people are impacted." Kenyatta pivots this again to working people and "lifting up working people."
Lamb agrees with MK on the NDC & how it's connected to inflation.

Both candidates invoke the issue of how much money people pay for drugs as tangential to this.
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Bob Casey's plan to work to cure Alzheimer's. Lamb says his family has been impacted by this and says "NIH dollars are the best dollars we spend." He's 10000% right on this.
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Kenyatta agrees with Lamb and adds that "America is a place where we get big ideas done." He adds HIV/AIDS to the mix of things that must be cured due to longterm issues.
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Farmers.
Kenyatta: Agriculture is essential to PA."Our folks help feed the entire country." He invokes Black farmers. He also says how important #BBB was for farmers. (Manchin is a shadow over this debate.)
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Both Kenyatta and Lamb have done work to address small farmers.
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Lamb explains he has voted against Democrats on this issue. He also says that Fetterman has done none of the work that he and Kenyatta have on farms.
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A light moment on who will win the World Series, Phillies or Pirates.
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Lamb says you have to show up and that he has never seen that from Fetterman.
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Kenyatta says we have to have working people in government. He says we have to have a bigger bolder Democratic party and his vision is big and bold.
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Lamb thanks Kenyatta for showing up and says people have to be accountable and Fetterman is not. (No argument there.) He also implies without saying it outright that he can reel in GOP voters.
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This was a good debate. No fireworks, but a clear detailing of messaging from both candidates. Both are committed to Pennsylvania and both brought their vision to the debate.
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Kenyatta is by far the stronger candidate and the one with real vision. But Lamb gave a credible performance and was honest about his center right positions and why he holds them and that is laudable.
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Pennsylvanians would be better served by Kenyatta who is more directed toward working people and a more future forward vision, but both men are committed to the state.
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Fetterman dodging this debate was a huge error in judgement and I think it will hurt him in the polls, lead or no lead. It says that he doesn't think he has to speak to us as voters and he does. So he was the real loser today.
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