Debates are good or bad, depending on whether you are the incumbant or the challenger.
Here’s how politicians look at them –
If you are the incumbant, there is no upside to having a debate.
You have everything to lose and nothing to win.
After all, you are already in the office.
If you are the challenger, it’s the only time you can go one-on-one with the incumbant and try to win a few voter points.
Now that we have set that up – Ed Case is asking the Democratic Party of Hawaii to host a series of forums across the state where voters can compare him and incumbant US Representative Mazie Hirono before the Democratic primary in August.
Case wants 25 joint appearances during which he and Hirono would discuss public policy issues.
In other words, a debate.
25 of them.
Good grief.
Case says the joint appearance format would be better than a statewide TV debate.
Of course it would be.
25 chances to trip her up versus one or two.
You think Mazie is going to go for it?
Of course not.
First, he’s a better public speaker than she is.
Second, she’s already in the office.
Don’t rock the boat.
Maybe a couple but we can see the “We’re sorry but my schedule is full” letter right now.
Dante Carpenter, the party’s chairman, is being diplomatic, saying the party is “open” to the idea.
And by the way, he thinks 25 primary events is too many.
About 23 too many we suspect.
Honolulu Notes 
I’d pop for 3 at the max, but 2 is also reasonable. [One could just be a bad night for one of them]