2nd gubernatorial wrangle set for 7 p.m. Friday

While UNC students enjoy the first break of the semester, gubernatorial candidates Patrick Ballantine and Gov. Mike Easley will battle at 7 p.m. Friday for the last time before the election.

The candidates will be asked questions in a sit-down style debate moderated by David Crabtree at the WRAL-TV5 station in Raleigh.

This final debate will cover a range of issues, unlike the first debate, which only covered education.

Schorr Johnson, communications director for the N.C. Democratic Party, said the key issues likely will be job creation, health care and education because they are the issues North Carolinians are focusing on during this year's election.

He said the debate will allow Easley to address all the issues and talk about his leadership as governor throughout the last four years.

"I hope we hear some sense of where they would take the state in the future," said Ferrel Guillory, director of UNC's Program on Southern Politics, Media and Public Life.

He said it is important with only 20 days left before the election for the candidates to give voters a clear view of what they will do if elected.

The first debate focused on education, but the candidates got caught up in a battle of their own. Experts say viewers can expect some of that tension again.

"Campaigns are competitions. They do put candidates under stress," Guillory said. "You're going to have some fire and heat."

But he said that the arguing did not benefit either candidate and that they should spend a few moments thinking about their plan for the future.

"They ought to add an extra dimension to this debate," he said. "(They should) talk about jobs, the economy and how the state is developing."

Johnson and Guillory both said the candidates' records will be brought up in this debate, and even should be.

"(Easley) will be in full campaign mode," Johnson said. "Easley will talk about his record ... and Ballantine's record is fair game."

In a WRAL News poll released Oct. 1, Easley leads Ballantine 53 to 36 percent with only 11 percent undecided. In July, Easley led Ballantine 50 to 28 percent with 22 percent undecided.

Ballantine has gained some support, but pundits say he still needs to gain more before elections in order to remove Easley from office.

Ballantine's campaign office did not return phone calls by press time.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.