ELIZABETHTOWN — At least on farm policies, it may be difficult for 2nd Congressional District voters to distinguish between Democratic candidate David Boswell of Owensboro and Republican candidate Brett Guthrie of Bowling Green.

They’re solidly behind policies supported by the Kentucky Farm Bureau. About the only distinction that’s clear is which is a Republican and which is a Democrat.

The two state Senators are trying to succeed Hardin County’s Ron Lewis, R-Cecilia, who is retiring at the end of his current term. Guthrie and Boswell were appearing in Lewis’ home county before Kentucky Farm Bureau members from across the district at a forum hosted by the Hardin County Farm Bureau.

The questions came from bureau members and all of them focused on farm policies. Not surprisingly, Guthrie and Boswell agreed with everything the farm community supports. They favor trade agreements that support American agricultural exports but Boswell who enjoys labor support favors “fair trade” and questioned the North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA.

Both favor allowing individuals to form associations or regional cooperatives to buy health insurance, but both – like Farm Bureau – oppose any national system. Both oppose environmental regulations that would allow federal oversight of even non-navigable streams and bodies of water. They support renewable forms of energy, especially those from agricultural products in Kentucky – but Guthrie made sure to work in standard Republican themes about drilling for more domestic production.

He even used U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s line:

“We must do everything,” Guthrie said – produce more, develop renewables, wind, nuclear and conserve more and use less. Boswell on the other hand, harkened back to the administration of President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s and his plan to develop synthetic fuels. Boswell blamed Republican President Ronald Reagan for “dismantling” those programs.

Boswell often worked his resume into his answers – 19 years in the state Senate, four as Agriculture Commissioner. He said members of his family had lost farms to the estate tax (both he and Guthrie are against it) and he chaired the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee when Democrats controlled the Senate.

Both extolled the virtues and values of farming and the importance of agriculture to the American economy and way of life. Boswell even quoted turn of the 20th century, thrice-nominated and thrice successful Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan:

“Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.”

Guthrie returned time and again to his family’s business – Trace Die Casting in Bowling Green – and the common issues faced by small businessmen and farmers, especially energy costs, health care premiums, taxes and regulation. And he ended by saying his reason to seek election to Congress was to ensure the standard of living left by his generation for that of his children would be a better one.

Otherwise, it was tough to tell them apart from their answers.

Jay Coleman, a registered Democrat who grows corn, soybeans and tobacco on 450 acres near Griderville in Barren County, said both men “did a good job but there was no clear advantage and it was hard to tell much difference in their answers.”

David Peterson, also a Democrat, who has a 500-acre grain farm in Marion County, said he’d like both men to show more independence.

“I think Sen. Boswell does have the old Democratic line,” Peterson said. “And Sen. Guthrie has the Republican line. I worry about either of them going up there and voting their respective party lines. I’d like to see either one of them show more independence.”

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. He may be contacted by e-mail at rellis@cnhi.com