Gubernatorial race: Taking it to the streets

Last week, Dan Onorato rode the Market-Frankford Line to 69th Street Station to ask potential voters for support. Yesterday, his opponent, Tom Corbett, did the same at a parking lot tailgate before the Eagles game. Tonight, the two face off in their final debate before the Nov. 2 gubernatorial election.

The men who differ on most issues agree that facing off at 6ABC’s studios at 7 p.m. will give viewers in the key Philadelphia television market an opportunity to compare and contrast them.

Though political types perceive that the race has been largely devoid of public attention, many commuters said they recognized Onorato from calls or commercials.

“I don’t believe in knockout punches,” said Onorato, dress-shirt sleeves rolled up. “What the debate does is give voters a chance to see both of us, how we respond to the issues, where we stand. They get to see us in action.”

Between rush-hour arrivals, he said with a laugh, “Let’s see Corbett do this. He doesn’t even know we have subways! He’d be shaking hands at limos.”

There were no limos around when Corbett — sporting a personalized No. 10 Eagles jersey with dress collar sticking out from under it and posing for pictures — worked the Lincoln Financial Field lot. Just a Rendell-esque campaign bus.

“True story: I was walking by Rittenhouse Square the other day and a man approached me, opened his jacket, offered to sell me a watch. ‘I can’t do that,’ I said to him. He said, ‘Don’t worry. I’m still going to vote for you,’” Corbett said. “People out there are starting to recognize us. They’ll see the differences if they watch.”