NOW THAT THE RUNNING mate issue is settled, the next big matter in the US election campaign are the debates, starting as early as September 26.

In all, there will be three debates between Democratic candidate Barack Obama and his Republican rival John McCain.

The debates run all the way to October 15 with the vice-presidential candidates - Joe Biden, for the Democrats, and Sarah Palin, for the Republicans, set to square it off on October 2.

In a year when there are questions by both sides over the competence of the other side to meet the demands of the office of president or vice-president, the debates will be keenly watched.

However, when talking of presidential debates, one cannot but recall these words during the 1988 campaign: "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

THE MAN ON THE FRYING PAN WAS none other than Dan Quayle, George H.W. Bush's vice-presidential nominee, who was picked more for his looks than his brains.

At the time, Mr McCain said: "I can't believe a guy that handsome wouldn't have some impact."

The man doing the destruction was none other than Lloyd Bentsen, a four- term senator, who had also served in the House of Representatives, and was Mike Dukakis' running mate in the Democratic Party.

Mr Bentsen, who later served as Treasury Secretary, has been dead for years, but his name lives on when it comes to selection of a running mate.

This year, Ms Palin, who has served only two years as Alaska governor, faces an epic task against Mr Biden, a 36-year Senate veteran.

However, judging from past experience, candidates who seek to impress in debates end up messing it all up.

Such was the case with Al Gore in the 2000 race when George W. Bush, failed to answer a foreign policy question on who is Vojislav Kostunica. Mr Bush, the current president, didn't know who Mr Kostunica was, but, Mr Gore, who was then the vice-president, rubbed it in telling the audience that Mr Kostunica was the Serbian president.

This year, it all boils down on October 2 at Washington University as the vice-presidential candidates face off. Any knockout punch may not mean defeat to the candidate, but may be the start of a slow death process as was the case for Mr Quayle and George Bush Senior, who won the election despite Mr Quayle's despicable performance in the debate.

Come 1992, the pair were seen as a incompetent team in the face of the Clinton and Gore onslaught.

Actually, in 1992, Mr Quayle put on a good show but was seen as being too aggressive in his criticism of Mr Gore's book on climate change: Earth in the Balance with most his claims later found to be inaccurate.

This month, Mr Obama and Mr McCain will set it all rolling on September 26 at the University of Mississippi in a debate focusing on foreign policy.

The next debate, set for October 7 will be town hall format. The last debate, on October 15, will be on domestic and economic policy.

In the vice-presidential debate, Mr Biden, would be advised to tread carefully not to appear too overbearing for Ms Palin.

But, Mr Biden is unlikely to be too polite as he is also campaigning for his seventh Senate term and will have to resign his Senate seat by January 20, if the Obama team wins the White House.

IN FACT, MR BIDEN HAS A LOT AT stake as his son, Beau Biden, who is likely to be appointed to act in his place as senator, is about to be deployed in Iraq.

Questions about a running mate's competence to run the country should something happen to the president will feature once more this year.

The concern can be seen in the fact that opinion polls conducted after the announcement by Mr McCain found that over 50 per cent of the respondents said they had never heard of Ms Palin.

However, it may be recalled that even Mr Quayle had some foresight in his debate with Mr Gore in 1992. In his closing remarks, in the vice-presidential debate, Mr Quayle asked voters: "Do you really believe Bill Clinton will tell the truth?" and "Do you trust Bill Clinton to be your president?" In fact years later, Mr Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives for telling lies over his affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern and had to be saved by the Senate.

This year, both sides have their weaknesses, even the experienced Biden, admits that he has a lot of problems, one being that he talks too much.

Mr Owuor is the Nation's Foreign editor