Still waiting for a debate

I heard a rumor today that Gov. Rounds may not show up for a scheduled debate with Dr. Jack Billion, this time in Spearfish at the SD Municipal League. (Here's the announcement of the debate that may not happen) in the RCJ. I hope my information is wrong, and Rounds will indeed debate Billion this weekend. They are both two strong candidates, so it would be a useful exchange. I was so looking forward to hearing a real dialogue between Gov. Rounds and Jack Billion on the future direction of South Dakota. Billion has been forced to talk to Rounds through the press, and, hard hitting and witty as Jack is, it's a shame all he can do is ask questions and hope for a response from the Rounds campaign though the SD media and blogosphere echo chamber.

What's up with this? I heard from a friend that was there that the unrecorded, untaped exchange at the State Fair in Huron did not go well for Gov. Rounds, even though he unilaterally changed the rules in his favor literally after appearing on stage with Billion. Rounds did participate in a four-way debate on August 23 on KOTA-TV, but it was long before things got serious and a four-way debate isn't really a debate, it's a meet-the-voters event.

Please Gov. Rounds, do a debate or two with Jack. Let's have an open dialogue for the voters, so we can listen, and make an informed choice where we want to go in the next two years, instead of having to guess where you really stand on so many important issues. Unless you want to confuse us with actions that leave us in the dark as to your real values on things. I'm referring of course to the now-infamous quote "I did not write this bill," the unnecessarily last-minute stay of the Page execution, and a "bold" minimum wage proposal that apparently went nowhere in a Legislature dominated by your own party.)

If your policies are as popular and wildly successful as you say they are, this should be a slam-dunk. Any way it goes, I and many others would love to see it happen. South Dakota is at a real cross-roads and we'd all be better for it.