Four years ago, when Democratic candidates like Bob O'Connor, Michael Lamb, and Bill Peduto ran for office -- there were at least five televised debates and 12 joint appearances.
 
This year, voters may be lucky to see Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Carmen Robinson, and Patrick Dowd together at all -- early on, Dowd called for nine debates.

"The mayor said he wanted three, and we acquiesced, and now he's saying he wants two, that he doesn't have time in the next 30 days to reschedule a debate that was obviously rightly postponed I think," Dowd said today.

Two debates were originally scheduled while minds were still focused on the fallen police officers.