Rep. Tom Perriello Urges Patience On Economic Growth: 'Instant Gratification' Is What Got Us Into This Mess (VIDEO)

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.), fighting to hang on to his congressional seat in a heavily Republican district against GOP challenger Robert Hurt, gave an impassioned defense of progressive policies and urged patience in getting the economy back on its feet in a debate on Tuesday night.

"This has got to be our time in America," said Perriello. "This has got to be our time to believe that we can still out-compete the world. This is not our time to put our head in the sand. The American dream is crucial here. But how does that American dream look if you are cutting funding to education and not supporting early childhood development or not making college more affordable? If you're not standing up and supporting the small business lending fund and the 17 tax cuts for small business?"

Perriello won his conservative district by running a tireless progressive-populist campaign and picking up first-time voters who turned out for Barack Obama. While in Congress, he has been a champion to progressives, fighting corporate interests -- which are now heavily funding attack ads against him -- and voting in favor of health care reform, the stimulus and cap-and-trade legislation.

On the campaign trail, he has been one of the lawmakers standing by his progressive record. In his closing statement in Tuesday night's debate at Piedmont Virginia Community College, Perriello not only urged patience in turning the economy around, but said that a quick-fix mindset was what hurt the country in the first place.

"I believe we've taken great steps to try to rebuild America's competitiveness," he said. "We've got to get out a mentality that says the right solutions are the ones that turn things around overnight. Instant gratification is part of what got us into this place. A greed and instant-gratification culture in Washington among politicians looking for symbolism instead of solutions. On Wall Street, people who are building an economy around speculation instead of building, making and growing things. And even among homeowners and consumers."

WATCH PERRIELLO'S CLOSING STATEMENTS (AIRED ON CBS 19 IN VIRGINIA):

Perriello still generally trails in polls against Hurt, sometimes by double digits. He won the district from incumbent Republican Virgil Goode two years ago by just 745 votes.

Comments

[Ockey]

04:41 PM on 10/21/2010

Tom Perriello was recently named Time's Top 40 Civic Leaders under 40. (http://tiny.cc/0nnrx)

Time also did a slideshow called the Political Trials of Tom Perriello. (http://tiny.cc/rkn2w). He's been getting a lot of good coverage in the media.

[Ockey]

03:16 PM on 10/21/2010

To those living outside of Virginia's 5th district, you can do something to get him re-elected. You can either contribute to his campaign or volunteer to make calls to get out the vote. If nothing else, join his Facebook fan page to show your support for him: http://www.facebook.com/TomPerriello

[jaws51]

11:02 AM on 10/21/2010

This man should be an example for the left. There are so many 'weak' candidates running this year that many are having difficulty deciding which is 'the lesser of the two evils' come voting time.

Please Dems, see this man as an example of strength and conviction to keep us moving forward in this nation!

[Donald Spaulding]

10:26 PM on 10/20/2010

Periello/Hurt debate was pathetic. Bad theatre that appeared to be badly scripted. Can you believe that these (wealthy) fools talked for an hour and did not once mention TARP, foreclosures, bank regulation or the economy! What's even scarier is that one of them will be our next congressman.

[Ockey]

03:12 PM on 10/21/2010

Tom Perriello is wealthy? That is news to me. From what I've heard and read about his background, Tom Perriello does not come from money and his work in the private sector does not seem to indicate he would have made a fortune. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Perriello)

Robert Hurt, from what I've read, comes from money but that is no reason not to vote for him. (There are a lot of good leaders in Congress who have come from money or made money in the private sector before joining Congress.)

Donald, maybe they didn't debate on the issues that you raised because some of them were already covered in the previous debate.

[oldgraymare]

07:08 PM on 10/21/2010

You are correct - Tom is not wealthy. I know this young man quite well (he stays with us whenever he is in our part of the district). His dad was a much beloved pediatrician in the Charlottesville area. Tom is from a family that values public service as a honorable profession. Robert Hurt does come from money- and his family stands to make a good deal more if uranium mining is approved in our area. TARP, foreclosures, bank regulation are not high priority issues in this part of the state.....here its jobs and education. Tom has done an admirable job for this district in tough national circumstances - and he has lived up to his original campaign pledge to work a double shift every day. He has championed veterans and the local VFW has endorsed him for this election. All I've heard Robt Hurt say is "Tom Perriello and Nancy Pelosi" - knowing that the very name Pelosi is roundly disliked here....but he will NOT say exactly what he will DO for us - like the typical Republican in this election cycle, they can only complain....they offer NO SOLUTIONS.

[TIdowu06]

07:26 PM on 10/20/2010

That was great! Standing up for what it means to be a Democrat is awesome -- now if only we could get more Democrats to do the same.

[drmonroe1952]

04:32 PM on 10/20/2010

NO YOU FOOL ---------LIFETIME POLITICIANS GOT AMERICA HERE------SEE THATS THE PROBLEM THEY CAN,T TELL THE TRUTH--------THIS GUY IS THE PROBLEM----------SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER-------------POLITICIANS MOTO----SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER------------------ELECTION REFORM-----TAKE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS-----DON,T VOTE TIL THIS HAPPENS--------CORRUPT PAID FOR POLITICIANS FIXED ELECTIONS------JOIN AMERICA DON,T VOTE------CALL YOUR CORRUPT POLITICIANS TELL THEM YOUR NOT VOTING IN CORRUPT ELECTIONS THAT ARE FIXED BOUGHT BY BIG INTEREST------JOIN AMERICA DON,T VOTE

[suigeneris]

03:00 PM on 10/21/2010

Said -- and typed -- like a true brain donor.

How exactly do you think that politicians that support campaign finance reform are going to get into office...unless you VOTE for them???

Having everyone who supports getting the money out of politics NOT vote is a surefire way to make certain that only candidates who want to keep the current system will get elected! Do you really not grasp that...?

[oldgraymare]

07:10 PM on 10/21/2010

Please, if my brain dies...don't give me drmonroe's!! And if you don't vote as a protest, all you're doing is "cutting off your nose to spite your face". One less vote for a Democrat (no matter how flawed) is a vote for more Republican control.

[tefoskey]

03:39 PM on 10/20/2010

Wow, that was really good. Way to go Perriello!!

[landonswan]

03:15 PM on 10/20/2010

Smart guy--trying to get elected on Obama's formula: Not saying anything but saying it extremely well.

[Drect]

04:11 PM on 10/20/2010

I the paragraph right above the video he said a few things the were spot on. Keep on hating though...

[directfitz]

02:59 PM on 10/20/2010

Hard work + level playing field = gains

[nowpolitics]

02:53 PM on 10/20/2010

Please make Tom Perriello the Speaker of the house. That is one hell of a fighter with convictions.

[drmonroe1952]

04:42 PM on 10/20/2010

THATS NOT FUNNY------BE SMARTER THAN THAT----HE IS NO DIFFERENT ALLREADY BOUGHT AND PAID FOR---JUST LIKE THAT DRUNK SMOKING GOLF PLAYER JOHN BONE AMERICA----JOIN AMERICA DON,T VOTE -----GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS-----DON,T VOTE TIL WE GET ELECTION REFORM AND FAIR ELECTIONS------JOIN AMERICA DON,T VOTE-----CALL YOUR CORRUPT POLITICIANS AND TELL THEM YOUR NOT VOTING IN FIXED CORRUPT BOUGHT AND PAID FOR ELECTIONS TIL WE GET CHANGE-------STOP ECONOMIC TERRORISM ON AMERICA--------JOIN AMERICA DON,T VOTE

[Captain Pants]

06:14 PM on 10/20/2010

Wow, you seem really smart and authoritative because you write in all caps. With your "NO VOTE" you sound like a paid troll. I am sure you would like people who read and stay informed to not vote. Because the only ones who would vote for repubs are the ignorant or Randian sociopaths afraid someone is going to get a welfare check or student aid.

People like you don't deserve the sacred trust that is a democracy.

[oldgraymare]

07:13 PM on 10/21/2010

The CapsLock key is on the far left of your keyboard honey. Make sure the little light is OFF. And Tom Perriello is NOT "bought and paid for". I know this young man quite well and have worked with this staff extensively. This is an honest citizen who is representing his district to the best of his ability, without regard for personal gain. He needs another 2 years to keep working for us.

[Eric Meier]

02:41 PM on 10/20/2010

well said. smart and passionate. let's hope virginian's are capable of hearing it.

[Ockey]

02:16 PM on 10/20/2010

For those who support Tom Perriello but don't live in his district and can't vote for him, become his fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TomPerriello

We can show our support for him through online media and maybe give him the momentum he needs to close the gap in his poll numbers.

[AGooglyMinotaur]

02:00 PM on 10/20/2010

Some moments of brilliance here! I'm really glad he didn't let those accusations slide about being some kind of puppet. Watching him stand up for himself against that kind of low-brow political discourse makes me more confident that he'd do the same for his constituents. We need more politicians like this.

[packie]

01:52 PM on 10/20/2010

That was the most rational I've seen ANY politician be in a long time.

[Paul Russell]

01:32 PM on 10/20/2010

During the Bush years, we were told to wait for years as economic issues take time. We needed to give Bush 4 more years in '04 because his policies were just kicking in. Remember?

But Obama should fix our 2nd worst economic mess EVER in less than 2 years because that is what Republicans do.....they just do...no facts needed

[jtthomas240]

03:16 PM on 10/20/2010

Did you see that one lady giving him the thumbs down when he asked people to look at the facts? Psh. Who needs facts? You gotta go with your GUT! ;)