Two years ago, the campaign for the 11th District Congressional seat in North Carolina was worse than a circus. Answers to questions were along the lines of, “My granddaddy raised me with mountain values,” or, “My opponent is a scumbag,” with little in between.

Last night, the Black Republicans of Western North Carolina and the Buncombe County Republican Party hosted a debate for Congressional hopefuls John Armor, Spence Campbell, and Dr. Carl Mumpower.

Armor wowed the crowd with his photographic memory, quoting from his pocket Constitution and giving examples of how history ought not to repeat itself. He even called the panel multiple times on flawed premises in their questions. He has participated in all three branches of government at the national level, and remarked that he was serving on the Supreme Court before Democrat incumbent Heath Shuler was born. Armor attested to the self-regulation private-sector choice would impose on existing government monopolies and blamed self-serving lawyers seated as legislators for many government ills. He admits he would have but one of 435 votes, but intends to build coalitions to attack government waste.

Campbell said it was family values, not government, that had made America great. He spoke a straight Republican line for the most part. A former army intelligence officer, he would not back down from his position that generals and trained ears-to-the-ground intelligence officers are more qualified to comment about the need for the US to combat terrorism in Iraq than radical political activists. The country is still recovering from the gutting of the CIA by the Clinton administration. Campbell said he believed in servant leadership and would encourage input from his constituents. He would get rid of lobbyists, but he did not have time to explain how.

Mumpower said he had a voting record to demonstrate he did not cave in to political pressure. He would cure ills with the country’s healthcare and education systems by disengaging the source of many of the problems: the federal government. He believed in big people and little government, and was going to work against victimizing classes into government dependency. One tactic he would take to Washington, DC that has proven effective locally would be shining a light on government nonsense. Mumpower said he was campaigning as an “independent” Republican because he did not want to be associated with the way Democrats tax and spend and Republicans borrow and spend at the national level.

Strangely enough, it was an enjoyable evening.

Before signing off, here’s a McCain-Feingold, equal-time headline for the incumbent.