Kashkari challenges Brown to 10 debates, echoing Brown in 2010

California GOP gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari on Thursday challenged Gov. Jerry Brown to a series of debates, echoing a tactic Brown deployed four years ago against then-rival Meg Whitman.

“I guarantee you he is going to duck and hide underneath his desk and avoid trying to debate me. But four years ago, he told Meg Whitman debate him 10 times. … They owed it to the people of California to have the issues put on the table,” Kashkari said on KFMB-AM (760) radio in San Diego. “So all right, governor, you challenged Meg Whitman to 10 debates [in 2010], let’s have 10 right now. You want to do 20, I’ll do 20. You want to do it in the Capitol, I’ll do it in the Capitol. Name the time, name the location. We’re going to talk about the real issues facing California families.”

A political spokesman for Brown was noncommittal.

LETTER: Kashkari challenges Brown to debates

“We’ll certainly consider debating, providing we can work out the scheduling and details to offer something substantive and worthwhile to voters,” said the spokesman, Dan Newman.

Kashkari made the remarks on a marathon day of talk radio interviews, a victory lap after he placed second in Tuesday’s primary, allowing him to take on Brown in the fall contest.

Many political observers have been skeptical that Brown would debate the GOP standard-bearer, given the incumbent’s enormous advantage going into the general election.

In 2010, though, as he faced a competitive race against billionaire GOP nominee Meg Whitman, he challenged her the day after the June primary to 10 town-hall-style debates around the state focused on budgetary, education and employment problems.

“The town halls will show the voters that we can act as adults and actually treat each other with respect,” Brown said at the time. “Meg and I may not agree on many issues, but we can at least tell the truth and explain how we would approach the job of governor.”

Brown and Whitman ultimately met in three formal debates and one panel during the 2010 election.