If you're looking for drama, for fiery back and forths, big disagreements, heated rhetoric, well, then this senate race is not for you.
The testiest moment of the hour long debate? ….came right at the end when Fisher asked Brunner if she'd support him if he won the primary, like he would her.
FISHER: So, Jennifer, will you?
BRUNNER: Well, first of all, it would be wonderful, I have not once called you Lee. It would be wonderful if you would refer to me by my title which is Secretary of
State Brunner, but….
For the record, she said she can't, as Secretary of State, endorse a candidate, but that she'd be a good Democrat.
OK, so they had a little squabble over titles, but by and large, the two candidates agree on a lot. They both want to regulate banks and create jobs. They both want paths to citizenship for illegal immigrants. They're both for same sex marriage and job retraining for veterans.
BRUNNER: The differences that you'll find between my opponent and me is less issue-oriented and more about core issues of trust.
Brunner says her experience as Secretary of State gives her the confidence to do what's right, even if it's controversial or unpopular. Fisher says his experience as Lieutenant Governor, and until last year, director of development, prepares him to push for Federal policies that would help Ohioans.
FISHER: I've learned that the state can do all the right things, but if the federal government is giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas and bailing out wall street while small businesses struggle, Ohio workers and families are left behind.
Both Fisher and Brunner present themselves as Washington outsiders. Their differences are in approach rather than philosophy. For instance, in regulating the financial system, Fisher wants a separate financial watchdog agency, while Brunner thinks a limited task force may be more effective.
If Fisher becomes senator, he says he'll work to abolish the filibuster, the stalling tactic minority parties can use to derail legislation.
FISHER: Rather than playing around the edges with the filibuster rule, it ought to be eliminated.
Brunner says she just wants to require that a filibuster take place-having to actually talk on the senate floor around the clock.
BRUNNER: They got lazy in the 70s and said you don't have to filibuster, you just have to say you're going to, so you can go home and watch basketball games or what have you.
Fisher more overtly takes a populist stance against Wall Street. And that rhetoric serves as a preview of how he would campaign against Republican Rob Portman, who served in the Bush administration.
FISHER: He spent two decades in Washington, DC, and he didn't just vote for George Bush's trade and economic and regulatory policies that got us into the recession. He was the trade adviser, the budget director. He was holding the shovel as we dug this recession.
Brunner says she too would be formidable against Portman.
BRUNNER: In my 2006 election, I won the secretary of state race in a four way race by 15 points. Won 52 out of 88 counties. I beat my opponent who's name was Hartman-kind of like Portman-(laughs) in Hamilton county, in his own county. Mr. Portman hasn't campaigned statewide before. He's raising a lot of money; he's going to need a lot of money. In the end, he seems like a very nice gentleman, but he's hard core conservative.
Brunner and Fisher are clearly trying to keep their primary battle…well, less of a battle, and more cordial. They don't want to risk angering or alienating portions of the Democratic base either would need to take on Portman in the fall. It also means debates don't sound that much like debates.