8 enough debates for governor hopefuls?

SALT LAKE CITY — Call it the debate over the debates.

The campaigns of GOP Gov. Gary Herbert and his Democratic challenger, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, are already squaring off over the list of gubernatorial debates.

Herbert's campaign manager, Joseph Demma, kicked off the back-and-forth between the campaigns in late May, with a letter listing eight proposed debates between August and October.

Just before the Fourth of July holiday, Demma followed up, noting "more than 35 days have passed since I sent the request without reply" and reiterating the governor's "commitment to engaging in substantive dialogue on important issues affecting all Utahns."

On Tuesday, Corroon's campaign manager, Donald Dunn, fired back, not only agreeing to all of the debates proposed by Demma, but adding another 14.

And Dunn said the Corroon campaign will make every effort to accommodate additional invitations for joint appearances and debates.

"Nothing could be more important during this election season," Dunn wrote his counterpart. "We look forward to a very positive and healthy discussion between our candidates."

Just how many debates the gubernatorial candidates will end up doing is still a matter of, well, debate.

Demma said the Herbert camp is "willing to talk about others here and there, but we think eight is enough. That's plenty of opportunity to get in front of folks."

Dunn sees it differently. In fact, he said Corroon will appear at every debate he's invited to, whether Herbert shows up or not. "We'd like to have as many as possible," Dunn said.

Such talk is typical at this point in a campaign, said Kelly Patterson, head of BYU's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy.

"The campaigns are getting a feel for each other," Patterson said. "It's early in the campaign season, but serious campaigns focus on the details. They do sound like they're serious."

And it's no surprise the challenger is pushing for more debates, even in this November's special election for the remainder of former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s term.

"There's a general rule of thumb that incumbents are normally better served by doing fewer debates and challengers are better served by doing more," Patterson said.