Burr vs. Ross: Senate candidates spend time debating merits of Trump, Clinton

Sen. Richard Burr and challenger Deborah Ross met in a debate Thursday night in which the race for president took the limelight.

Ross, a Democrat and former state legislator, sought to link the incumbent Republican, Burr, to presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has been under fire for his chauvinistic remarks regarding women and the fact that several women have come forward this week to say that Trump sexually assaulted them.

She criticized Burr for continuing to support Trump, saying he "has toed the party line even when Donald Trump has crossed the line." She added that Trump has proven by his comments during the campaign that he is not qualified to be commander-in-chief of the United States military.

Burr said he believes Trump was telling the truth when he denied having committed the alleged assaults and that he is continuing to back Trump despite having some concerns about the billionaire businessman.

And Burr put spin on the issue, saying he is much more concerned about Hillary Clinton's ability to lead the country in the right direction. He questioned her judgment and honesty and noted that millions of people are still backing Trump despite the questions swirling about him.

All in all, the debate was more of a tussle over the presidential race than it was a discussion of the Senate seat that is up for grabs.

Published in Editorials on October 14, 2016 9:54 AM