The televised five-candidate show in Sacramento Wednesday night fell somewhere between a World Wrestling Federation event and a pie fight. Moderator Stan Statham of the California Broadcasters Assn. needed a whistle and a striped shirt. It's a shame that the probing questions that a real debate would have offered were nowhere to be found. Not one word was uttered about the structural reforms necessary to right the state economically and politically.

The loss was often the candidates'. Arnold Schwarzenegger, by participating only in this debate, needed to come across as knowledgeable about state problems — particularly the budget quandary — and offer a specific program of action. He didn't do so; this was partly his failure and partly the fault of the freewheeling nature of the 90-minute discussion. It was difficult to declare winners or losers as candidates tossed barbs at their foes, talked — or yelled — over each other, engaged in generalities and sought to win favor with rehearsed laugh lines.

... Davis was absent, both physically and in the candidates' answers. Considering the low quality of the information the event provided to voters, he should be happy about it. Nothing happened Wednesday night to give Californians reason to replace Davis. A "no" vote on the recall looks better every second.