A SEINFELD ELECTION: Kudos to Chas Rich for his point-by-point blogging of last night's mayoral debate... if "debate" is the right word. Do these two disagree about anything except what they think of each other?

This is coming off as the Seinfeld Show of elections -- an election about nothing. An election about relationship issues.

What would Frank Jackson try to do as mayor that Jane Campbell is against? What would Campbell try to do in a second term that Jackson opposes? I don't mean like who'll get a contract, who'll get a job, whose program will gain or lose funding, who'll get the mayor's ear. These questions matter intensely to lots of insiders on either side... but don't matter at all to most potential voters, whose political self-interests revolve around safety, neighborhood services, economic opportunity, their kids, their utility and tax bills. What important differences are there between the two candidates' records and promises on these basic concerns?

If this "debate" was any guide, the answer is -- no important differences at all.

Which was undoubtedly the main cause of the record low primary turnout, as well as the record low general election turnout that everyone seems to expect (present company included). If you can't tell the candidates apart, why vote?