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Bush, McBride debate tonight
By STEVE BOUSQUET, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 27, 2002
TALLAHASSEE -- With polls showing the race for governor tightening, voters tonight get their first chance to see Republican Gov. Jeb Bush and Democratic challenger Bill McBride on the same stage.
No 30-second ads, no spin doctors, not even a reporter asking questions.
Instead, Bush and McBride will field taped questions from voters in the first of two televised statewide debates. Eight TV stations will carry the hourlong debate at 8 p.m., including WEDU-TV in the Tampa Bay area.
Mason-Dixon Polling Research this week showed Bush leading McBride 49 percent to 43 percent, with 7 percent undecided and 1 percent favoring independent candidate Bob Kunst.
Bush has debate experience from two previous campaigns for governor. McBride, who spent this week preparing at home in Thonotosassa, has participated in one debate, a lovefest last month with fellow Democrats Janet Reno and Daryl Jones.
Tonight, each candidate gets two minutes for an opening statement and 90 seconds to answer each of the 15 to 20 questions.
They cannot rebut or challenge each other to respond. The debate is sponsored by the Florida News Network, a consortium of TV stations.
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