Resuming the Campaign

Friday, September 21, 2001; Page A36

THE CANDIDATES for governor of Virginia -- who fittingly shelved their increasingly roughneck campaigning last week -- are tiptoeing back onto the trails, anxious for attention from a distracted electorate. Voters were less than riveted all summer; engaging them now will be a delicate, difficult business. In Washington, the Sept. 11 crisis has muted partisanship and prompted politicians to set aside many disputes that seemed momentous two weeks ago. But Republican Mark Earley and Democrat Mark Warner are right to resume. They differ on issues that will be important to Virginians during the next four years. In some ways, the Sept. 11 attack and the challenges it poses for the economy -- in Northern Virginia especially -- have made the gubernatorial choice all the more important.

The state already faced serious challenges in transportation, education and other fields. The repeal of most of the car tax championed by Gov. Jim Gilmore had left the state without sufficient revenue. That was apparent last year, when Mr. Gilmore barreled past warning signs of a slowing economy. Now the challenge could be far more acute. How would Mr. Earley, a former state attorney general, or Mr. Warner, a businessman, cope with this challenge? It's not enough to talk about what Mr. Gilmore did wrong or to promise in general terms to "grow the economy." Voters need to know how the candidates would sort sacrifices and essential spending in the next four years; how they would shore up a failing tax structure; how transportation and education should be financed not through dubious accounting tricks but with streams of long-term revenue.

The resumption of politics in this altered atmosphere should not be overly tempered by reluctance to engage in vigorous debate. It would be nice to hear more substance and less name-calling; that would have been nice before Sept. 11 too. But the candidates shouldn't be shy about outlining their differences. In Virginia more than many states, the governor has the power and responsibility to make decisions that directly affect people's daily lives and economic well-being. How do the two Marks propose to wield that power?