The first of just two debates between the Attorney General candidates was conducted Saturday afternoon in Orlando, and Tampa Bay area citizens will get the chance to see Democrat Dan Gelber and Republican Pam Bondi for the first time this Monday night at 8:00 p.m. on Bay News 9.

Immediately after the debate, Bondi's spokesperson, Sandi Copes, issued a press release, exclaiming that her boss had scored an "overwhelming" victory.  Though par for the course in terms of campaign spin, Gelber had to have been pleased to finally engage in a one-on-one matchup against his GOP opponent.

Speaking to CL on Friday at La Tropicana in Ybor City, the Miami Beach Democrat was lamenting that there would be only one more forum after their weekend encounter.  But it's questionable how big the audience will be tonight's affair, as it's scheduled to be aired only in Tampa and Orlando, up against a Major League Baseball playoff game and the beginning of Monday night football.

“Listen, I think it’s a real disservice to voters that she refuses to engage in a real debates," Gelber said about the fact that there would not be more than two debates. " We were both literally in a TV station on the same day in Miami yesterday and she refused to even engage in a debate with me even though Michael Putney, the guy who was asking her , said ‘we’ll do it right now, we’ll do it anytime ‘. And I’m available any time.  I was at another event that same night where she refused to appear alone.  She wants to have an election that’s about sound bites, and that’s  a very superficial election about national issues that have nothing to do with the AG’s office.  That does a disservice to this process, so but it’s all that we’re stuck doing ,since she’s figured out that’s her best way to win."

The most recent Mason/Dixon poll shows Bondi up 5% over Gelber, 42%-37%.

Gelber was in a particular bouyant mood last Friday, after receiving more newspaper endorsements that morning.  Though Bondi has received the imprimatur of her hometown Tampa Tribune and the Tallahassee Democrat, Gelber has received the lion's share of editorial page endorsements, including one from the Orlando Sentinel that called the Democrat "far more qualified" than his GOP challenger and declared that "the race is a mismatch."

Bondi has nationalized the race to an extent, saying in her campaign ads that she will continue to fight the federal health care legislation, specifically the individual mandate (that a Pensacola Judge last week ruled should continue to play out in the courts), which Florida's current Attorney General Bill McCollum, maintains is unconstitutional.

Gelber disagrees, but says he's not making an issue of it.

This article appears in Oct 14-20, 2010.