The Issue: Kenneth Blackwell, Ted Strickland have terse debate

Their View: Three upcoming debates may tell very little

Kenneth Blackwell and Ted Strickland both came out swinging in their first debate in the race for Ohio governor.

The debate on Sept. 7 in Youngstown between Blackwell, a Republican, and Strickland, a Democrat, was heavy on name-calling but light on substance. The Lincoln-Douglas debates they weren't.

We suggest undecided voters not pay much attention to the three upcoming debates, unless they enjoy watching politicians engage in name-calling.

Pay attention to the political coverage in a newspaper or the TV news. Or do research on the candidates on the Internet. Any of that would be more enlightening than the hot air coming from the gubernatorial debates.

- The (Dover-New Philadelphia) Times-Reporter