Silly Excuse

It is disappointing that Gov. George Deukmejian has found an excuse to say that he will not debate Mayor Tom Bradley in their race for the governorship. As we observed after the primary election, there are important issues facing Californians, and a campaign for governor is the place to discuss them intelligently and respectfully.

It is not surprising, though. Deukmejian is so far ahead in the polls that he would not risk turning an intelligent and respectful discussion of issues into an advantage for his challenger. That is the common political wisdom: The candidate ahead should never debate. That the common political wisdom contributes to common politics too often escapes those who swear by it. The people are the losers.

President Reagan, so far ahead of Walter F. Mondale that he perhaps thought he had nothing to lose, took the chances on debates and found that indeed he had nothing to lose. We at least got to see them head to head, or toe to toe.

Maybe Deukmejian would discover the same thing. In any case, though Bradley’s campaign has not been a monument of enlightenment, Deukmejian’s excuse for running away--that Bradley is just too, too mean to him--is silly, and not to be taken seriously.