Irvin Commentary: Laying low and holding on -- Brewer's gamble

PHOENIX - On its face, it’s easy to understand Governor Jan Brewer’s decision not to take part in any more gubernatorial debates. She’s actually being refreshingly honest when she says she took part in last week’s debate only in order to qualify for public financing of her campaign. She’s right when she says debating will only help her opponent. Candidates have known for years there’s no reason to debate if you’re way ahead in the polls. You’re simply giving your opponent the opportunity to share the stage with you and take shots, and who wants that?

Strategy aside, however, one would think Brewer would want to debate just to save face. Her performance last week was so astoundingly awful, such an utter meltdown, that it earned labels like “stupefying” and “incompetent” in the national press. 

Certainly, Brewer would like a do-over, so she can prove she can handle the pressure of defending her record and articulating her position. 

The problem is, she can’t. 

Anyone who’s spent any time covering the governor knows it’s hard to find a soundbite, as she so often fails to finish a sentence, trailing off as if losing her train of thought. And as for the beheading question? I’ve seen Brewer pull the exact same tactic in a previous news conference, answering the same question! 

In fact, it’s shocking the governor failed to anticipate the beheading question ahead of time. It’s not as if the story hasn’t been percolating in blogs and various reports for weeks. The governor should have a well-rehearsed answer by now, which would quickly diffuse any pointed questions. Instead, she withered and collapsed under the questioning from local reporters. 

Watching what happened last week, it’s easier to understand why this news organization and others have had a difficult time getting her office to even return a phone call, let alone making the governor available for one-on-one interviews. The governor has appeared to make herself readily available to Fox News, which many consider friendly to conservatives. 

Let’s face it, this is a governor hoping to simply hang on until election day. Brewer’s popularity soared after she signed SB 1070, and she hasn’t looked back. The immigration bill, however, put important issues like the economy and education on the back burner, and voters are increasingly saying those are the issues which directly affect their daily lives, and it’s time to do something about it. 

With a 20-point lead, Brewer appears unwilling to even talk about those issues in a public forum, let alone debate them.

So let’s assume the governor would talk about these issues. What questions would you want her to answer? Add your comments below and if we get the opportunity to do an interview with the governor, we’ll ask her your questions