Republican Gabriel Gomez and Democrat Ed Markey went head to head on topics such as handling the conflict in Syria and cyber espionage on Wednesday in the last of the debates with one week until the special election to fill Secretary of State John Kerry ’s former senate seat.
In light of the country’s involvement in Syria, Gomez said the U.S. should support a group that shares American democratic ideals.
“We need to align ourselves with the best rebel group and make sure Assad falls,” he said. “The last thing we would do is put troops on the ground. We need a no-fly zone with as many partners as possible, but the rebel group needs to be armed so that they have the capability to fight back.”
Markey said any weapons given to a rebel group could end up in the wrong hands.
“We want to back democratic groups, but we need to make sure these arms do not come back to haunt us,” he said.
In to a poll released by The Boston Globe on Saturday, Markey leads Gomez by 13 percent (54 to 41), and 4 percent of the respondents are undecided.
Both candidates said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan proved the democratic ideals of the U.S. cannot always be imposed upon other nations.
“We’ve learned how hard it is to impose democracy on another country,” Markey said. “That lesson applied to Syria as well.”
Gomez reminded constituents of the cultural and historical differences among nations.
“Every country has different histories and ideas of democracy,” he said.
When asked about drone strikes, Gomez, a former Navy SEAL, said he would be hesitant about using drones to target citizens on U.S. soil, but that they carried potential for use overseas.
“Overseas, absolutely [drone strikes should be implemented] if you’ve changed sides,” he said. “If you’re an American, you’re a vital target.”
Markey also endorsed the use of drone strikes overseas if the target is a threat to the national security, but said the drones will pose as a privacy threat within the U.S.
“We have to make sure that as those drones take off, they are accompanied by privacy protections,” he said.
Both candidates said cyber espionage by China is a huge threat to U.S. industries and military.
“China and their army are trying to penetrate our industry and military on an ongoing basis,” Markey said. “They are stealing intellectual property and making our products on their soil. We need to make sure they don’t take our nuclear secrets.”
Gomez said cyber security is a great threat to the U.S., and that China is one of the biggest perpetrators of cyber warfare.
In his closing statement, Gomez said he could make changes in 17 months comparable to those made by Markey in his 37 years in Congress.
“I’m running because I want to serve,” he said. “I want to make sure my kids and everyone else’s kids have a chance at the American dream. If we continue on the path we are on, they may not achieve that dream. Markey had 37 years, and in [Washington] D.C. we still have discord.”
Markey said Gomez was a stereotypical Republican and voiced his own desire to continue making improvements in the lives of his constituents.
“I want to run to make sure the 21st century is more educated, healthy, prosperous and fair than the 20th century was,” he said. “I’m going down to Washington, [D.C.] to protect a more fair society.”
The special election will be held June 25.
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