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Go For It — Why Now?
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Go For It

PSoTD says that Senator Clinton has challenged Senator Obama to a real debate, 90 minutes, no moderator – the Lincoln-Douglas format. The CNN story would seem to indicate that the response was the sound of clucking.

OK, that’s not fair, there probably are reasons why the Obama campaign might not be able to alter its schedule other than avoiding a real, old-time debate, and I’m sure that they will be paraded out by “the usual suspects” in short order.

I would point out that anyone who participated in debates in high school and/or college, knows full well that what have been billed as “debates” were not even close to the real thing. The public has been subjected to a series of game show formats, usually hosted by one or more failed comedians.

15 comments

1 axt113 { 04.27.08 at 5:16 am }

I can just see Hillary’s first question:

Hillary: Sen. Obama, does Hamas like you because you you are anti-semetic or just because you hate America and our freedom to own guns and be religious?

2 axt113 { 04.27.08 at 5:17 am }

That is why he would never agree to the debate, it’ll be hours of her launching attacks at him

3 Totoro { 04.27.08 at 7:57 am }

I distinctly do hear clucking issuing forth from the Obama camp, basically because the man is a poser! He likes to be a blank screen that people can project their fondest hopes on. If he really was as great as some people seem to think, he’d have everything to gain in such a debate, he would be able to resolve the matter of who to vote for in very short order. That would certainly be worth redoing a scheduled campaign stop if he had to. He won’t do it though because he’d lose!

4 Bryan { 04.27.08 at 3:21 pm }

That is a question, Axt113, that would certainly have been asked during the last “game show” on ABC, but Clinton is a good deal more likely to concentrate on economics and health care, while Obama would go to national security issues, and the debate was suggested to be 90 minutes, so she would get no more than 45 minutes to ask or answer questions.

All I have to work with are limited impressions, Totoro, but I don’t think Obama is particularly comfortable talking extemporaneously, preferring to organize and edit his thoughts before expressing them. That is not a criticism, just an observation.

John Edwards would have cleaned the clocks of every other candidate out there in a true debate, as the only experienced trial lawyer among them. Lots of lawyers in the herd, but most of them, including Clinton and Obama seemed to have remained office bound, if, indeed, Obama did much of anything with his law degree [three years full-time as an associate at a law firm, summers only for another 6 years]. Edwards would be classified as a barrister in British terms, while Clinton and Obama would be solicitors.

Clinton scored points for making the suggestion, because everyone is fed up with what the media have been pawning off as “debates”. It would have been an excellent precedent for the Fall campaign, as McCain most certainly couldn’t handle this format against either Democrat; he is dependent on the media saving him from himself and no follow-up questions.

5 kelly { 04.27.08 at 3:56 pm }

HAVE the debate! America NEEDS to know why Obama sat in front of a black radical preacher for 20 years and claims no influence. Of course, he does blatantly refuse to wear the American flag and his wife is just now feeling like an American. Oh, and in Obama’s opinion we working class (white) Americans do cling to our guns and religion in. So what is HE clinging to? I WANT TO KNOW WHO THIS GUY IS!!!! If you don’t care, you deserve what we will get if he is elected. HAVE THE DEBATE!!!!!

6 Mary { 04.27.08 at 4:50 pm }

Hang in there Obama !! No need to let the witch harangue you even more!
As for me, I wouldn’t cross the street to spit on her if she was on fire. God
bless you for your patience with her lies. I am working on getting everyone
I know to vote for you. We need an honest man in the White House for a
Change !!

GO OBAMA, GO !!!!

7 Steve Bates { 04.27.08 at 8:59 pm }

Folks, be careful how you handle those campaign-supplied talking points; they appear to me to be sharp on both ends. Oh, and if I’m right about that, how does “President McCain” sound to you?

8 Bryan { 04.27.08 at 10:44 pm }

Too few elections, Steve. They’ll learn with time. A real debate would have been nice, and would real coverage of the candidates, but that’s so pre-Saint Ronnie.

9 Kryten42 { 04.27.08 at 10:51 pm }

I’ll believe it when I see it. 🙂 I very much doubt a real debate would happen these days.

Even the majority of Democrats these days seem only interested in ‘talking points’ and ‘sound bites’. I seem to recall a time when they constantly accused the Republicans of the same thing. Just an observation of course. 🙂

And yes Bryan, Edwards would probably have been classed as a Barrister (or Queens Council) here also. If I was there and had to choose between Obama and Clinton, I’d still choose Edwards. 🙂

Have phun! We got rid of our trash, so I reserve the right to be smug! 😉 LOL

10 Ant B { 04.28.08 at 12:53 pm }

Why debate? She already loss. Next she will want to challenge him to a tennis match or maybe a drinking contest. She only has her nose and eyes above water right now. Why should he throw her a live saver. After NC and Indiana she will be gone.

One question for her: Why are you still here?

11 Jay1969 { 04.28.08 at 2:54 pm }

We all know….the canidate that is loosing is the canidate that demands debates in an attempt to win over voters to not be loosing anymore…..is this an admission by the Cliton campaign that they finally realize they are the loosers?

12 Bryan { 04.28.08 at 3:39 pm }

Reality check – it isn’t possible for either candidate to win outright. The Democratic superdelegates will be selecting the nominee, no matter what happens in the remaining primaries.

I don’t believe we have heard the final aria.

13 hipparchia { 04.28.08 at 7:34 pm }

that’s a debate i’d like to see.

she’s essentially offered obama his choice of rules. if he prefers less-extemporaneous speaking, he can request that the ‘rules’ lean towards allowing more time for prepared statements on previously-agreed-on issues.

[attempting to win over voters — now there’s a novel concept]

14 Bryan { 04.28.08 at 7:36 pm }

I would like to see something in this campaign that wasn’t orchestrated by the media.

15 Steve Bates { 04.29.08 at 12:58 am }

Aw, give me a break: “loss”? “canidate”? “live saver”? “loosing”? “Cliton”? “loosers”? You need more than a reality check: you need a spell check. Actually, only three of those are misspelled; the other two are legitimate words used completely out of context. Proofread your posts, children!

No matter what you kids may think, it really does make a difference how you present your arguments. I admire your enthusiasm; now you need to acquire some technique.

I am convinced that either Democratic candidate will offer a better education policy than McCain… and obviously we need one.