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Monday’s televised debate between Mufi Hannemann and Neil Abercrombie showed both candidates in top form, scoring points with factual (and sometimes not-so-factual) statements.

The Democratic candidates were each at their best: Hannemann, the former Honolulu mayor, speaking smoothly and with confidence; Abercrombie, the former 1st congressional district congressman, raising his voice in passion, his voice sometimes quivering with emotion.

The debate also showed both men sticking to their well-worn stump talk — e.g., Hannemann the executive, Abercrombie the agent of change.

But the exchange also showed spontaneous engagement, especially when each man asked the other direct questions.

Abercrombie drilled Hannemann on the “Compare and Decide” mailer, the quadrupling of property tax assessments in Kalihi and a tendency (according to Abercrombie) to blame others for his mistakes.

But Hannemann deflected those charges by saying he stood by his apology for the mailer (which was showing up late in neighbor island mailboxes) and saying a mayor has little control over assessments.

The most important ingredient of all was a partisan audience — Hannemann’s wearing red, Abercrombie’s in white — that whooped and cheered and booed and groaned as the debate grew more intense.

The enthusiasm at times nearly spun out of the control of Hawaii News Now, and the TV anchors had to remind the audience to shoosh.

The biggest takeaway of the night: These two candidates for the highest elected position in the state should go at it again, in a live forum for all to see, before the Sept. 18 primary ends this historic battle.

This is participatory democracy at its best … except maybe for those silly “lightning round” questions. The real heat and light came during the serious questioning from panelists, community members and the candidates themselves.

And it was all fun to watch.

Another TV debate broadcast statewide and streamed on the Internet is probably not going to happen, though.

Abercrombie spokesman Jim McCoy told Civil Beat Monday night that his candidate had accepted a debate on PBS that would have been held this month and one on KITV that was scheduled for September. But he said Hannemann turned the offers down.

Hannemann spokeswoman Carolyn Tanaka confirmed Hannemann would not participate in the two debates, citing scheduling conflicts.

That leaves Hawaii voters with only the rather staid KHON debate held earlier this month and last night’s slugfest. Instead, voters will have to attend small forums (the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce gubernatorial forum tonight in Hilo, for example) or be content with the onslaught of TV, radio and print ads already underway.

Same Issues, But New Fire

The Hawaii News Now debate, co-sponsored by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, allowed both candidates to retell their stories before a large and mostly new audience.

And so Abercrombie told again how he came to Hawaii 51 years ago to attend the University of Hawaii, while Hannemann talked about his parents immigrating from Samoa and his childhood in Kalihi.

What was different is that both men seemed to sense that this was their last real chance to connect with voters on a mass level.

Abercrombie’s argument that Hawaii voters had trusted him for nearly four decades at the city, state and federal level had new resonance, while Hannemann’s experience balancing budgets took on a new urgency given the state’s fiscal decline.

There were, to be sure, plenty of rehearsed, even canned remarks from the candidates. By now, there’s probably not a person in Hawaii that doesn’t know Hannemann has good relationships with county mayors or that Abercrombie worked at a restaurant named Chuck’s in Waikiki.

The debate also showed the two digging deeper into each other’s public statements and experience.

Hannemann questioned Abercrombie’s support for building the state’s time-share industry and the thinking behind suggesting the Hawaii Tourism Authority lose its $71 million annual budget to market the state.

Abercrombie said that Hannemann had not shown he could work with different levels of government when it came to solving homelessness. He noted that the city had an office of housing when Abercrombie served on the Honolulu City Council.

Hannemann was at his strongest when he said his faith and prayer are central to his life but that he would not bow to an “ecclesiastical order” as governor.

He also gracefully handled a question about former Congressman Ed Case‘s charge that Hannemann was dangerous and would set the state back. The mayor said his work on repairing sewers, roads and parks shows that he is all about improving vital infrastructure.

Abercrombie by turn excelled when responding to a question about civil unions. Referring to Hannemann’s opposition (because civil unions are tantamount to marriage, which he considers sacrosanct), Abercrombie said it is not a governor’s job to make decisions based on values but on protecting the constitutional right of every citizen.

The Final Round

In less than three weeks either Mufi Hannemann or Neil Abercrombie will be out of the race and possibly out of politics.

If he loses, Abercrombie will be criticized (again) for giving up seniority in Congress at a time a Hawaii-born president is in the White House. Hannemann will be criticized (again) for leaving with two years left as mayor and not waiting until a U.S. Senate seat opens up.

It’s hard to imagine either endorsing the other’s candidacy, although party elder Daniel K. Inouye will do his best to make peace the morning after the primary when Democrats come together for their traditional unity breakfast.

That means that the next 18 days will likely be the most intense of the campaign.

Will Hannemann pour on the negative, though he has promised to keep it clean — or will others do it for him, as they have in the past?

Will Abercrombie step up his attacks on Hannemann, as he has begun to do? Does he have the money to keep his face in front of the public like Hannemann does?

Finally, how on earth will the likely Republican opponent in the general election, Duke Aiona, stand up to a Democratic opponent who has gone through the fire like Hannemann and Abercrombie?

The lieutenant governor has skipped most forums and all debates involving other candidates, including ones from his own party.