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No debates yet, but plenty of talk between camps

O’Malley proposes five debates with Ehrlich; staffs have yet to talk details

Friday, Aug. 4, 2006

More than two weeks after calling for a series of debates, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley have yet to set any dates.

On July 19, Ehrlich (R) wrote O’Malley (D), proposing debates in September and October.

‘‘These debates should be substantive and conversational, giving voters a chance to go beyond sound bites and learn about how we intend to confront the challenges this state faces,” he wrote. ‘‘We owe the voters frequent, meaningful debates in a number of venues across the state that address their interest about what is best for Maryland.”

O’Malley campaign manager Josh White responded July 20, with a letter calling for five debates between O’Malley and Ehrlich and two debates between their running mates, Del. Anthony G. Brown (D-Dist. 25) of Mitchellville and state Disabilities Secretary Kristen Cox.

‘‘We believe the stakes in this election warrant several opportunities, beginning in August, for the families of Maryland to evaluate the choices in this year’s election and allow them the chance to see which of the candidates is on their side,” he wrote.

The campaigns had not met to discuss details as of Thursday. O’Malley has agreed to attend a debate at Cecil Community College next month and the B’nai Israel Congregation’s candidate forum on Oct. 22 in Rockville, according to a letter from his campaign.

He also agreed to a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Maryland on Maryland Public Television during the week of Oct. 30 and a debate on WTOP Radio’s ‘‘The Politics Program” in the week leading up to the Nov. 7 general election, the letter said.

The letter also suggested that the two sides schedule ‘‘additional gubernatorial debates, perhaps in Western Maryland or the Eastern Shore.”

‘‘Our letters were more general,” said Shareese N. DeLeaver, an Ehrlich campaign spokeswoman. ‘‘O’Malley’s were more specific, calling for five debates. That’s not to say that’s not where we’re at, but it will most likely be senior officials from both camps getting together to negotiate.”

The Ehrlich campaign will not make any more statements about the negotiations, she said.

In airing the letters publicly, the campaigns are positioning themselves, not actually negotiating, said Michael E. Morrill, who has worked on a number of Democratic campaigns. ‘‘If it’s real negotiating, it’s done in a room, sitting down face-to-face,” he said. ‘‘It’s not done in the press.” The letters are ‘‘to create the impression that both really want a debate without putting conditions on it.”

The truth is both candidates want conditions, Morrill said. That leads to discussions of everything from the color of the backdrop to the use of props and notes to whether candidates will sit or stand to how much time each candidate has to speak and who can interrupt whom. ‘‘The debate about the debate often becomes more important than the debate itself,” Morrill said.

Whether the events listed in the O’Malley letter would count toward the five debates his campaign suggested depends on Ehrlich’s interests, said Rick Abbruzzese, an O’Malley campaign spokesman. ‘‘There are certain ones we feel very strongly about,” he said. ‘‘ Maryland Public Television for example, is a statewide televised debate. So we’re fairly committed to that one. WTOP Radio is another example.”