Debate: Gubernatorial contenders should spar

The Clarion-Ledger Editorial, 9/17/7

Barbour and Eaves will engage in their first one-on-one debate on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Saenger Theater in Biloxi in an event sponsored by the University of Southern Mississippi and The Sun Herald newspaper.

In a campaign that has been dominated by scripted TV commercials and orchestrated political speeches like the Neshoba County Fair, it will be refreshing to see the candidates take common questions on the same stage.

There are serious issues to be debated about the future of Mississippi at this juncture. The ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina presents a plethora of questions. Why are so many Mississippians still in FEMA trailers? What about the insurance crisis on the Gulf Coast?