Campaigns debate the ground rules for debates

Councilman David Pepper and state Sen. Mark L. Mallory listen to the rules of the evening as given by moderator David Altman at the first mayoral debate of 2005 in March. (Photo by Craig Ruttle/The Cincinnati Enquirer)

Last Friday, Mark L. Mallory's chief fund-raiser and David Pepper's campaign manager met over lunch at the Washington Platform Saloon downtown.

The agenda: to work out a set of ground rules for the mayoral debates.

Fresh off their victories on primary election night, both campaigns were getting deluged with requests from television stations, community councils, non-profit organizations and trade groups who all wanted to see the Mallory-Pepper action up close. Today alone, there are two debates scheduled -- one at noon at the Christ Church Cathedral undercroft downtown, and another tonight at Christ the King Catholic Church in Mount Lookout.

So Dan Phenicie, development director for the Mallory campaign, and Greg Landsman, Pepper's campaign manager, began to winnow the list. They're encouraging smaller groups to co-sponsor events with others. An official schedule of joint debates should be released in the next few days.

They agreed on most issues of format. The campaigns will give the following guidelines for debate organizers:

• There should be podiums at all debates. If that's not possible, candidates should stand with cordless microphones. If they absolutely have to sit, it should be behind a table.
  
  
• Questions from the audience should be encouraged, but they should be written ahead of time and screened by a moderator -- an attempt to screen out campaign plants, audience grandstanding and inappropriate questions.
  
  
• If it's an event where council candidates will also appear, the mayoral candidates should go first.
  
  
• No debates will be scheduled until both campaigns confirm their participation. Both campaigns were finding themselves roped into events their opponent had agreed to.
  

One point of contention: the length of opening statements. Mallory wants two minutes; Pepper wants five.

"From our standpoint, we found it difficult to articulate our entire vision in two minutes. It’s still the sticking point," said Landsman, of the Pepper campaign. "I guess David just has a more comprehensive vision."

But Mallory's Phenicie said that wasn't the point at all. "The longer you make the opening and closing statiements, the less time you have for questions. We want to have the chance for the candidates to address exactly what those groups want to hear."