Port: We don’t need more angry people in Washington

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MINOT, N.D. — This last week the three candidates for the U.S. Senate — incumbent Republican John Hoeven, Democrat Katrina Christiansen, and former Republican Rick Becker — performed in two debates.

I moderated one, on my Plain Talk podcast, along with former Democratic-NPL executive director Chad Oban; Prairie Public hosted the other.

Both events were disgraceful spectacles of crimination, recrimination, and almost shouted verbal jeremiads. Each candidate holds a distinct view on how best to serve North Dakota, and the nation, in the Senate, but the overarching theme of the debates was anger.

Becker seethed. Christiansen fumed. Hoeven, the unifying target of his two challengers, fired back.

It has made this competition seem like a race to the bottom.

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