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We can already tell you what the two Democratic candidates for governor will say in tonight’s debate.

Both Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann like to plow the same ground — again, and again and again.

We’ll be listening to tonight’s Hawaii News Now/Honolulu Star-Advertiser debate. We’ll count how many times they trot out the same expressions and sayings to show why they’d make the best governor.

Maybe you have your own suggestions for the phrases we should follow. Please let us know.

For now, here’s what we’ll be counting.

We flipped a coin at Civil Beat and Abercrombie won the toss, so he gets to go first.

Abercrombie

• on day one
• invest in human capital
• our diversity defines us, not divides us
• a new day is coming to Hawaii
• real-estate speculators
• University of Hawaii
• having a conversation with the state
• water connects the islands
• no more politics as usual

Thank you, congressman.

Now, for the former mayor of Honolulu.

Hannemann

• from day one
• at the end of the day
• time and time again
• executive experience
• private-sector experience
• county mayors
• champion
• It’s about management
• This is not a legislative job

We’ll do our best to let you know how many times the candidates use these — or other key catchwords — in the debate.

After The Debate

So, were we right? You be the judge.

If the debate were to be judged on whether a candidate hit the same themes repeatedly, Hannemann would be the clear winner.

Of course he uses some variations to make his point. But what we heard told us that he’s:

• Collaborative. Some version of that word, often combined with “leadership style,” came up at least 10 times.
• Has experience. He used some version of “executive experience,” or “proven executive experience,” at least seven times. If you added in “private sector experience,” we’d be up to at least nine times.
• Is a manager. He used some version of management at least seven times.
• An “administrator.” He brought that idea up at least twice.
• If we add up all his administrative, executive and management experience, the number is 18 times.
• Proven track record of getting the job done, which is related to the above. Well, he hit that at least three times.
• Those good old neighbor island county mayors weren’t forgotten. They came up four times. And the neighbor islands, which at one point he named, got their due, too.
• Finally, it wasn’t a big night for rail. But infrastructure, consider that an important part of Hannemann’s experience. He cited it at least three times.

As for Abercrombie, think “values” and “Manoa Finance.” He surprised us with his emphasis on the latter. We weren’t prepared to count the number of times he talked about the topic. But values came up at least four times. He also:

• Told the audience that he’s an “agent of change,” at least three times.
• Kept pounding the “conversation” theme, mentioning it in some way at least three times.
• Talked about his “plan,” the new day in Hawaii he promises. That came up at least three times, too.

Abercrombie doesn’t make quite the point of emphasizing certain qualities the way Hannemann does, but he knows how to give new images to the idea of “conversations.” He talked about “horizontal management.” (We’ll let you figure out what that is.) He also promised “no silos or stovepipes.” OK.

But one thing you can be sure of when listening to Abercrombie, “real-estate speculators” are not his favorite people. He mentioned them at least twice, and let’s just say it wasn’t with any affection.