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For months, Gov. Nathan Deal and Democrat Jason Carter have traded barbs over education and economic policy. But at Sundays debate, both rivals unleashed new attacks that focused more on their rivals personal backgrounds than their policy positions as they intensified their appeal to the middle class.

In the testy showdown at the Atlanta Press Club, Deal called Carter a liberal who had a skewed view of private enterprise, and he tried to paint the state senator as a novice whos had little private-sector or political success. Carter accused Deal of failing to tap Georgias potential with a humdrum political agenda, and he raised questions about the governors sale of a lucrative salvage yard.

Deal was forced on the defensive through stretches of the hourlong debate, as Carter and Libertarian Andrew Hunt spent much of their time criticizing the governors leadership. At one point, when Carter was asked about whether hed support legislation inspired by Georgia tailback Todd Gurleys suspension, the Democrat pivoted to an attack on the governors higher education policy.

The governor pushed back on each broadside, saying Georgia was on the right track and that he would resume the course in the next four years. When pressed by Carter about the states stubborn unemployment rates pegged at 7.9 percent for September the governor called it an outlier statistic.

Unemployment rates are only good for political advertising, Deal said. Economists dont pay any attention to them.

Experience and change

The bitter back-and-forth played out against months of campaign rhetoric focusing on education and the economy, the two dominant themes of this election. Deal touts more than 300,000 jobs created on his watch and an education budget this year that includes more than $300 million in new k-12 money. Carter said the state is drowning in wasted potential that he can unlock with a pledge to boost classroom funding.

The sharpest attacks on Sunday, though, came over less lofty policy platforms. Early in the debate, Deal panned Carter as a two-term state senator who had little to show for his time in the statehouse.

Youve never passed a bill. Never offered an amendment to many of the bills you now are criticizing, he said. Why should Georgians vote for you with this absolute lack of leadership experience?

Carter, in a curt response, said the attack was misguided.

Continued here:
Carter and Deal get personal in second debate