BY SANDY THEIS
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
COLUMBUS -- Just days after announcing he had agreed to five debates, Bob Taft, the Republican candidate for governor, said Thursday there won't be any -- unless the two minor party candidates are included.
His posture has angered some debate sponsors who contend Mr. Taft is breaking commitments to debate Democratic candidate Lee Fisher.
On Monday, Mr. Taft's campaign issued a statement announcing they had agreed to five debates and challenged Mr. Fisher to two additional debates.
Mr. Taft, however, said he made no final commitments to do any debates. And as secretary of state -- Ohio's chief elections official -- he said he has a special obligation to promote information about all candidates, not just those endorsed by the major parties.
"When a voter goes into the voting booth, they're going to see four names on the ballot," Mr. Taft told reporters Thursday. "As secretary of state, I believe that the voters ought to have access to information about all four candidates."
When asked why his campaign took part in debate negotiations that included only his campaign and Mr. Fisher's -- and not the other two candidates -- Mr. Taft replied, "I don't know. I wasn't involved." Staff members handled negotiations, he said.
Mr. Fisher noted that none of the debate sponsors invited Reform Party nominee John Mitchel or independent Zanna Feitler. If such invitations are extended, Mr. Fisher said he would "absolutely consider" accepting.
"I believe that this is, frankly, a smoke screen," Mr. Fisher said, "because I believe Mr. Taft does not want to debate me on a one-on-one basis." Mr. Fisher is considered a better debater than Mr. Taft.
Mr. Fisher, who is Ohio's former attorney general, said he supports the same standard for participation set by the League of Women Voters: Debates are opened to major party candidates and any others who receive the support of at least 15 percent of those polled in an independent, credible, statewide public opinion poll.
Maureen Kilkenny, the League's executive director, conceded that her group had no "written commitment" for their debate, set for Oct. 8 in Columbus. "We thought we were going to get a commitment," she said.
Debates about debates are common campaign rituals.
Herb Asher, professor emeritus from The Ohio State University, said that front-runners, such as Mr. Taft, often welcome all candidates.
"If you have four people in a debate," he explained, "it makes it more difficult for the majority party opponent to target the candidate who is leading. With so many participants, it's a less focused kind of discussion."
