When is a gubernatorial debate not a gubernatorial debate?

When you’re ahead in the polls, like Tom Foley has been in the GOP primary for governor, you tend to sacrifice public exposure, where possible missteps abound, for the sanctity of controlled TV ads and private fundraisers with friendly out-of-state polls like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Perhaps Christie had some hints for Foley yesterday on solving Connecticut’s traffic congestion problems. “Well, don’t close any lanes of I-95,” he might have joked, in reference to his staff’s ill-advised stifling of George Washington Bridge lanes from Fort Lee, N.J. traffic last year.

Anyway, in the more than two-month space between the Republican convention and the August 12 gubernatorial primary, there were very, very few head-to-head encounters scheduled among gubernatorial candidates. That may be good for Foley, in his second attempt at public office after spending $11 million of his own money in 2010 to lose to Dannel P. Malloy by 6,404 votes. But it’s not so good for Senate Minority Leader John McKinney of Fairfield, a veteran state lawmakers whose chances to show his depth of knowledge on public policy has been sharply limited, after challenging Foley to as many debates as possible. Wednesday had been tentatively set for a tete-a-tete on NBC-30. But alas, no. So Republicans will be able to measure their candidates through last week’s Hartford Courant/Fox CT event and a News 8 WTNH throw-down scheduled for Sunday August 10. The primary is the 12th.

John McKinney, on the lack of an NBC 30 event : “We clearly won the debate last week. Tom simply refuses to give a straight answer on any issue that’s important to voters. And he knows we won’t let him get away with distorting my voting record. I can understand why he’s afraid to debate. We continue to be open to more debates, any day, any time.”

Chris Cooper, spokesman for Foley:  “Tom told NBC 30 that he would do a debate with them before or after the primary. They chose after.”

Matt Piacente, vice president of news for NBC 30: “We were in the exploratory stage with all the candidates back in June,  but no debate was ever scheduled.”