Rule No. 1: Don’t make a mistake

By J. Patrick Coolican (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006 | 7:57 a.m.

For Jim Gibbons, no matter how tempted he is to blurt out what he really thinks of Bob Beers, he must resist the urge when the Republican candidates for governor meet Friday for their first of two debates.

Gibbons, a congressman from Reno; Beers, a state senator from Las Vegas; and Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt will meet on Channel 10 at 7:30 p.m. Of course, the real question is: Who's watching public TV on a Friday night? And is either of them a Republican?

The Democratic candidates, Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson and Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, will follow the Republicans.

If nothing else, the debate will give voters an opportunity to see Republicans and then Democrats lay out a vision for the future of Nevada. They are likely to see Beers call for smaller government, which would cut into education and road funding while leading to tax savings. The two Democrats will propose new spending on the state's ailing schools and health care systems, which will cut into the state surplus.

The question is how Gibbons, the veteran congressman, will respond, if at all.

Steve Wark, a Republican operative, said that with the likelihood of low ratings, the real goal of the candidates will be to set up their opponent for a mistake - a bad sound bite. They're hoping another candidate will state opposition to apple pie or the American military or the fine people of the gaming industry, which they can then use in a media blitz from now until primary day, Aug. 15.

"If Bob Beers can rattle Jim's cage, and cause him to make a proverbial gaffe - and Gibbons is known to do that - maybe it's a good race," said Chuck Muth, a longtime Republican operative. Gibbons, for instance, once made an off-color joke about his sexual allure in front of Rotarians in Las Vegas.

Beers must jab at Gibbons but also look like a governor. He has run a spirited campaign that has been filled with publicity stunts - to include a TV ad featuring sock puppets - but he must convince voters that he can be someone they look to for leadership, Muth said.

Republican voters will look to see how Gibbons responds to the Beers attacks, said Eric Herzik, UNR political scientist. Gibbons' task is to mollify the party's conservative voters without alienating the independents who will vote in the fall.

Hunt, whose campaign has never really taken off, can only hope her two opponents beat each other up and leave her the only one standing.

The Democrats will follow with their own hourlong debate, starting at 8:30. Gibson and Titus are hoping to make no mistakes, said Gary Gray, a Democratic consultant. They have debated in other venues. Neither should be taking big risks, Gray said.

That doesn't mean they can't work on their presentation, though, he said: "One needs more sizzle, and the other needs more steak."

What Gray means, even if he refused to say it, is that Gibson can speak in a dull monotone, and in numbing detail about policy minutiae. The quick-witted Titus, meanwhile, must give voters a concrete reason to follow her leadership.

The final pair of debates will be next week, airing on KRNV in Reno. The Democrats will air at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and the Republicans at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 11.