CAMPAIGN WATCH : Why Not the Best?

It’s almost Labor Day, and the campaign for California governor is more than half over and not an inch closer to any distinction or intelligent discussion of the issues.

The camp of former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein has sought to tar Sen. Pete Wilson with S&L; goo, but we don’t think it’ll stick. The Wilson people have retaliated with similar charges about the involvement of Feinstein’s husband in a questionable S&L; deal in Oregon, but we think the attack is a very questionable reach at best--and, like the S&L; mud thrown at Wilson, utterly irrelevant to the reality of governing the state of California.

The sad truth about this campaign is that these are two candidates who do have something to offer voters, but they’re not getting that message across. They are running for the most important governorship in the nation, and they’re acting like two feuding small-town district bosses. They should wise up and show the voters what they have in their heads rather than what new campaign trick they have up their sleeves.

But newspapers often complain like this--and just as often do very little themselves to elevate the campaign. So in the spirit of putting our newsprint where our mouth is, The Times has invited both candidates to participate in a series of issue face-offs on our Op-Ed Page. Both have agreed, and the series will start sometime in September. The point of the gubernatorial face-off is to give voters a better idea of how these two candidates think about the issues. We sincerely hope the series helps.