Maybe he fears his own limitations or perhaps remembers the disastrous debate debacle with John Kennedy that cost Richard Nixon the presidency.
Whatever. Idaho Gov. Jim Risch is sure leaving the clear impression he's running for cover when he refuses to debate his Democratic challenger on statewide television, but will engage in debate on a local Boise station with less coverage of the state.
Risch, who moved up to the job after Gov. Dirk Kempthorne joined the Bush administration as Interior secretary, is not running for election as governor, but as lieutenant governor against Democrat Larry LaRocco, a former congressman.
The interim governor's reason for ducking the statewide debate on public television, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, are odd and inconsistent.
First, he objected to the face-to-face format and demanded the right to leave the TV program when LaRocco began speaking. Then, he issued a statement complaining of unspecified "disruptive behavior" by LaRocco in past public appearances as grounds for avoiding a debate. He then claimed he lacked the time to accept every debate invitation.
Voters expect several qualities in their public officials. High among them is a willingness to submit to comparison with political challengers in a public forum to see which provides the most convincing case for their election.
A statewide TV debate would provide more Idaho voters a chance to compare the candidates. Cheating voters of this opportunity speaks volumes about Gov. Risch's sense of accountability to the state's electorate.
