THERE is something almost comic about the dance between veteran politician Madeleine Bordallo and the green young candidate Karlo Dizon over the issue of a public debate between the two. Dizon has launched an effort to unseat Bordallo, who is seeking her sixth term as Guam’s non-voting delegate in the U.S. Congress.

In one of his first public statements after announcing his candidacy, Dizon challenged Bordallo to a series of four debates. “The people of Guam are struggling,” he declared in a May 15 release. “Our economy has stalled, and our community eagerly awaits to hear from their leaders for solutions to the problems that affect our everyday lives.” The statement sounded more like a justification of somebody running for the Guam Legislature, where he might actually be able to do something about the local economy, rather than of an aspirant to the U.S. Congress. In any case, Dizon suggested debates on the following topics: economy, local issues, national issues, and foreign policy.

Bordallo didn’t respond until this week after filing her papers to officially become a candidate for another term, when she said no, she wouldn’t debate a fellow Democrat. That prompted Dizon to issue another statement, alleging that debates “are not optional.” He said the people of Guam “are waiting to hear the delegate explain how another two years in office would be any different from the failures of the last 10 years.”

And there’s the comedy! Madeleine has been a “failure” for the last 10 years? The voters of Guam have re-elected a “failure” to represent them, time after time, in Washington, on the national stage? Madeleine may not be insulted by this assertion, but a lot of her supporters will be. She is as beloved as anyone who has walked across the Guam political stage since 1970.

That’s the danger Dizon faces in going up against a woman who is a political icon. She’s been a first lady, a senator, a lieutenant governor, and a candidate for governor herself, before going off to Washington as our delegate. Dizon cannot hope to have any impact on her support in the Democratic primary if all he can do is insult her and belittle all that she has accomplished.

He must find ways to gently suggest that perhaps it is time for somebody new to take over, and try to make some inroads into her substantial support that way. One bad way to go about it was to have a meeting with Sen. Frank Blas, the presumptive Republican candidate, this week. That sent the entirely wrong message to the Democratic Party establishment, one that makes it look like Dizon and Blas are ganging up on Bordallo.

It’s tough being a fresh new candidate. You need to find a way to make an impact, but not by insulting your very popular opponent. It’s a delicate dance, one which Dizon may not have the experience, insight or finesse to pull off.