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EDITORIAL: Conventional Ken: He Plays It Safe, Like Any Other Pol

Posted on: Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 12:00 CST

By The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Mar. 29--In this year's campaign for governor, J. Kenneth Blackwell has presented himself as the candidate of big ideas, a steadfast advocate for conservative causes unafraid of the rough and tumble of the political arena. His television ads end with an off-camera announcer praising Blackwell for showing "courage in the public square."

That courage vanished last week when the secretary of state announced he would not appear in debates with his opponent in the Republican primary, Attorney General Jim Petro, in the final weeks before the May 2 election. Little explanation was offered. His campaign spokesman said Blackwell was concentrating on fund-raising and finding other ways to convey his message to the Republican faithful.

A more persuasive reason for Blackwell's attack of stage fright soon became apparent. Shortly after the no-debate announcement, the Columbus Dispatch released the results of its latest mail-in survey. The traditionally accurate sampling showed Blackwell with an 11 percentage point lead over Petro, 39 percent to 28 percent, with the rest undecided. The poll showed Blackwell with a 12 percentage point lead in the Cleveland area, the Petro home base.

Those results followed a series of other party and candidate polls showing Blackwell with double-digit leads. The conventional strategy in such a situation calls for the front-runner to duck debates, avoiding the chance of a costly stumble and denying the opponent an avenue for counter-attack. And that's exactly what Blackwell decided.

For a candidate who relishes the chance to chide others for playing safe, the decision marks a striking departure. Imagine what Blackwell would be saying about Petro if the roles were reversed. So much for courage in the public square.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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