The brave few undecided voters who tuned in to the first televised gubernatorial debate between Sen. Dina Titus and Rep. Jim Gibbons learned quite a bit about the T word. Not taxes -- which I'll get to later -- but the nasty T-word that Gibbons cited repeatedly: temperament.

It's one of the qualities he said that will help him lead the state -- implying, of course, that his opponent lacks a similar trait.

Monday's debate, sponsored by Youth Voice Inc. and political groups at the University of Nevada, Reno, was broadcast statewide on Jim Rogers' NBC affiliates. But it didn't turn out to be a decent way to get anything substantive out of the candidates.

Gibbons spoke first and went on the offensive. "During this hour's debate, my opponent will portray me as negatively as she can," Gibbons said. "No matter what my opponent says, this race boils down to one important point: Over the next four years, I will save you money, she will cost you money."

He mentioned his two ballot initiatives -- the two-thirds majority requirement for the Legislature to raise taxes, which voters approved twice in the 1990s -- and Education First, which is on the ballot for the second time this year. Titus, he said, opposed both.

"Ask yourself: Who do you want leading the state into the future, a fiscal conservative with a solid record of limiting government or a record liberal spender?" said Gibbons, the Republican nominee. "I'm running for governor because I want to protect your future, not mortgage it."

Titus does not rattle easily, so the tap from Gibbons probably didn't cause the unrecoverable gaffe that came moments later when she thanked "UNLV" students for attending and made it worse by adding: "All you students seem the same to me."

An hour later, as the debate wrapped, Titus, D-Las Vegas, apologized and thanked the UNR kids. Moderator Joe Hart smiled and asked her who she'd be rooting for in this weekend's UNR-UNLV football game. I was watching 400 miles away in Las Vegas, but I could still hear the boos.

Inasmuch as Gibbons stuck to the script -- however misleading -- he won the debate.

Voters tell you they base their decision on news stories, voter guides, meeting candidates and debates. But it's the television ads that really do it. At Saturday night's Wolfpack-Rebels football game at Sam Boyd Stadium, Gibbons Country volunteers may just be working the Reno side reminding voters of the wicked witch from the south. The video might be playing in Washoe County by next week, as well.

It would be nice to have a discussion about the state's pressing issues -- education, water, economic development -- but the debate got in the way. And when the candidates had a chance to question each other, voters got even less information.

Temperament trumped taxes and demeanor derailed discussion.

Gibbons hid his lack of vision for the state's education needs behind support of his useless ballot initiative, which has no practical application. Fund education first? The Legislature will pass the Distributive School Account 10 minutes before the general fund and our kids will be better? How?

There's no doubt that philosophically Gibbons is closer to his "save you money" model than Titus. But he's not exactly "no new taxes," either. On Monday he said, "I don't intend to raise taxes." Titus said she had no plan to raise taxes "at this time."

In rural Nevada, both can go up and offer the same lines. It's Gibbons they're going to end up trusting.

That's a shame. Sure Titus, the Senate minority leader, has voted to raise taxes and fees throughout her legislative career, most notably in 1991 and 2003. But in 2005, she was part of a Legislature that reduced property tax increases. In Clark County alone, that's $1 billion in tax savings over two years.

There was also the rebate on motor vehicle registration. The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, which would consider itself conservative, says a small company with five employees with one registered vehicle saved $591 in 2005. A big company with 100 employees and 10 vehicles saved $5,325.

Congress is another story, and as a House member Gibbons has not shown restraint. The White House says the current deficit is $318.5 billion and the national debt is $4.9 trillion.

Titus assailed Gibbons for a "borrow and bankrupt" mentality without even mentioning the $225,000 he brought home to Sparks for a swimming pool. Stick an apple in his mouth.

Maybe then we won't have to hear him obscuring the truth on his or her opponent's immigration policies or try to figure out what the heck he actually meant with his lengthy, clause-filled response referring to "the issue to, or the issue of, or the issue right now."

Making them debate three more times might not be the answer after all.

Erin Neff's column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.