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Is Beverly Perdue a bad debater?

Democratic consultant Gary Pearce said allowing her to debate five times was "political malfeasance." Charlotte Observer columnist Jack Betts said Republican Pat McCrory is "more polished." WUNC reporter Laura Leslie said debates "aren't Perdue's strongest suit."

Dome's take: The format makes the difference.

McCrory has clearly outshined Perdue in sit-down debates that allowed more back-and-forth between the candidates, such as the recent debates on WRAL and WTVD.

But the two are more evenly matched in formal settings with podiums and timers, such as the recent debate at the SAS Institute. Perdue excelled in that type of setting during her primary debates against Richard Moore.

Their backgrounds may help explain that. As Betts noted, Perdue has presided over the Senate for eight years. It's a place where formality reigns. Parliamentary rules determine the course of the debate and legislators take turns giving short speeches.

City council meetings are much more informal. Mayors and council members typically sit, discussion is more freewheeling and thinking on your feet is a virtue. Typically, only the city attorney keeps careful track of Robert's Rules of Orders.

In addition, state legislators rarely debate during their campaigns, while McCrory has faced a number of televised debates in his biennial campaigns for mayor.

In short, the more the debate is like the Senate, the better Perdue does. But when it's more like a City Council meeting, McCrory tends to win the day.

If we're right, then Perdue's decision to skip the UNC-TV debate tonight — a formal debate that will be aired statewide — was a strategic mistake.

A new ad from the Republican Governors Association ends with a video clip of Beverly Perdue saying the following:

"I would do exactly what's been done before."

The ad suggests that the quote is evidence the Democratic nominee for governor would follow the Raleigh "status quo" on issues such as taxes and jobs.

So what exactly was Perdue talking about when she said that? Getting scientific advice on offshore oil drilling.

Here's a fuller quote, from the Aug. 19 debate on WTVD in Durham.

And I believe secondly that they must allow states to have the individual decision about what they're going to do in their state on drilling. I would do exactly what's been done before. I will listen to a team of engineers and scientists and ask them to tell me very quickly, to assess the new technology that's come since Governor Martin did the same thing in the late '80s. The world has changed so much and things may be very different, but I want to be responsible and know for sure that if we drill off the coast of North Carolina we can do it safely.

The video is available on TheDomeCam.

Pat McCrory clarified his criticism of Louisiana today.

In previous speeches and debates, the Republican gubernatorial candidate has compared recent scandals in North Carolina state politics to Louisiana.

"I want to make sure we're not like Louisiana," he said at a WTVD debate in mid August. "I want to bring back good government to North Carolina. And that starts at the executive branch right here in Raleigh."

This morning, McCrory rode on a bus tour with former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer.

Coincidentally or not, he amended his speech line during a gubernatorial forum on ethics in downtown Raleigh around noon.

He spoke about an "ethical breakdown" in state government over the last eight years, saying they "more resemble Huey Long Louisiana politics than the good government we've always been proud of."

Long was governor and senator in Louisiana in the 1920s and 1930s; Roemer in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Beverly Perdue used one of Pat McCrory's old debates against him.

During the WTVD debate tonight, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate referred to something McCrory said during an April 10 debate in the Republican primary.

"My opponent says that children's health care insurance sends the wrong signal," she said. "I don't understand that."

At the debate, McCrory said that government health care was encouraging teen-agers to get pregnant "in a way" because "they know they're going to get free medical care for their children."

"We're sending the wrong signals by our government programs right now," he said during the Republican debate.

During tonight's debate, McCrory said he did not what Perdue was talking about.

"I don't know where she got that quote from and I look forward to seeing it some day and I'm sure it's out of context like many of the negative ads ... from national Washington groups and labor unions," he said.

Reminded by a reporter afterward, McCrory said that he was talking about preventive measures for teen pregnancies in that quote, noting that he's heard from kids he's mentored that they see pregnancy as "a way out."

"I in no way meant that I would want to take away health insurance from children," he said.

Pat McCrory is trying to tie Gov. Mike Easley around Beverly Perdue's neck.

At several points during a debate on WTVD in Durham tonight, the Republican gubernatorial candidate tried to link the current governor and the lieutenant governor who was sitting next to him.

The references grew steadily in intensity, with McCrory making a few references to problems in the "current administration and the current leadership" on mental health reform and immigration.

At other times, he referred to a general culture of corruption in Raleigh.

He first mentioned Easley by name about halfway through the debate after a direct question from the moderators about recent criticism of Easley, portraying himself as a more open and accessible governor.

Perdue made no mention of Easley during the debate, but afterward she told reporters that McCrory was misrepresenting her position in state government.

As an separately elected lieutenant governor with mostly formal duties in the Senate, Perdue said that she was an "independent agent" in state government who freelanced for the governor on education, health care and protecting the state's military bases. 

"I'm not a part of the Cabinet or administration," she said.  

The gubernatorial debate was a wipeout.

Well, not really. But that's what the TV listings say for tonight at 8 p.m. on WTVD — "Wipeout."

Here's a synopsis from an online TV guide:

In this new reality competition, 24 contestants try to navigate an extreme obstacle course that has been designed to provoke an unprecedented number of crashes, face plants and wipeouts, with one competitor taking home a $50,000 prize each week.

Come to think of it, that does sound a bit like a debate, except for the part about the prize money, which would be above the campaign finance limit. 

Pat McCrory took another swipe at Beverly Perdue over offshore oil drilling.

The Republican gubernatorial nominee used a lunch speech before a commercial real estate and construction group in Cary to drum his message that Perdue, the Democratic nominee, has flip-flopped on offshore drilling, Mark Johnson reports.

Perdue in June said she was "100 percent opposed" to drilling off North Carolina's coast but last week said she would appoint an independent panel of scientists and engineers to help decide.

McCrory quipped that he doesn’t know where she stands.

"I guess I’ll find out tonight," he said referring to a planned debate to be broadcast at 8 p.m. on WTVD-TV in the Raleigh-Durham market.

McCrory addressed the Raleigh area chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the Triangle Community Coalition.

Beverly Perdue has committed to five debates.

The Democratic gubernatorial nominee said today that she would appear at five events before the November election, including three in the Triangle:

June 21: N.C. Bar Association, Atlantic Beach

Aug. 19: WTVD, Durham

Sept. 9: WRAL/Capitol Broadcasting, Raleigh

Sept. 19: Public School Forum on Education/Everybody's Business Coalition, Cary

Oct. 15: Charlotte-Mecklenburg League of Women Voters/ WSOC/WTVI, Charlotte

"I look forward to the debates and the opportunity to have a real discussion about the issues facing North Carolina," she said in a statement.

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue has accepted WRAL's debate.

Perdue and state Treasurer Richard Moore had hit an impasse over where to debate. Perdue announced that she would break the stalemate and meet Moore's challenge to debate on WRAL instead of WTVD.

"Richard Moore has said that he would debate anytime, anywhere, but it's become clear that he does not intend to live up to those words,” Perdue said in a written statement. "While I deeply appreciate WTVD's efforts and generosity, it is clear that for a debate to occur I will have to be the candidate who takes the first step forward."

The debate is scheduled to air live tomorrow night throughout the state.

Time is almost up for Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue to debate tomorrow.

Moore, the state treasurer, and Perdue, the lieutenant governor, have both called for a debate. They've both agreed tomorrow is a good night for it. But they haven't agreed to be at the same television station.

Moore says WRAL offers the biggest television audience and matches Perdue's call for a statewide debate. Perdue says she accepted WTVD's invitation and since Moore has said he would accept any debate, he needs to debate her on WTVD.

Both candidates said today the other needs to reverse course if there is going to be a Democratic debate. UNC-TV is hosting a televised forum Thursday, but that event won't allow interaction between the candidates, who will also know the questions in advance.

"I am frustrated. I think we all are," Perdue said this morning in an interview. "We're waiting for him to say, 'yes.'"

Moore told reporters today that he would be happy to debate on WTVD, but only after Perdue debates him on WRAL.

"We are going to do this WRAL debate first because it has the largest audience because it is exactly what the lieutenant governor said she wanted to do," Moore said.

Moore said he plans to show up at WRAL tomorrow.

WRAL is willing to do a joint-debate. WTVD is not, Moore said.