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"For far too long, the political machine has appealed to the wealthy, affluent powerbrokers around the country. But this election is already proving that candidates are going to have to work a little harder to gain the support and votes of everyday Americans. Every aspect of the All-American Presidential Forums will help remind the candidates and viewers that when it's all said and done this process is really about 'We the people.'"
-- Tavis Smiley
The All-American Presidential Forums on PBS mark the first time that a panel exclusively comprised of journalists of color has been represented in primetime. Questions to the Republican candidates were posed by Tavis and journalists Ray Suarez of The NewsHour, columnist Cynthia Tucker of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and NPR correspondent Juan Williams.
Inspired by the book the The Covenant with Black America, the candidates discussed issues ranging from healthcare and housing to Katrina relief, the economy and the environment.
The first Forum, for Democratic candidates, was held on June 28, 2007 at Howard University in Washington, DC. Participants were: Sen. Joseph Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Christopher Dodd, former Sen. John Edwards, former Sen. Mike Gravel, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Bill Richardson. Journalists Michel Martin of NPR, nationally syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr. and USA Today and Gannett News Service columnist DeWayne Wickham joined Tavis in posing questions to the candidates.
Transcripts and video from the events are available online.
Ray Suarez is a senior correspondent and serves as a backup anchor for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS. He also anchors the monthly public radio foreign affairs series America Abroad for PRI and has written two books. View Full Biography
Cynthia Tucker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and the editorial page editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Her articles appear in dozens of newspapers across the U.S. She is also a frequent television commentator. View Full Biography
Juan Williams is a senior correspondent for NPR and political analyst for the FOX News channel. He's also a regular panelist on the weekly news affairs program FOX News Sunday and a best-selling author of several books. View Full Biography
Michel Martin is a host and reporter for National Public Radio. Prior to joining NPR she was a correspondent for ABC News Nightline, a reporter for The Washington Post and a White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. View Full Biography
Ruben Navarrette, Jr. is a member of the editorial board of The San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist with The Washington Post Writers Group, whose twice-a-week column appears in nearly 200 newspapers. View Full Biography
DeWayne Wickham is a USA Today and Gannett News Service columnist. His syndicated column is distributed to more than 130 daily newspapers. Wickham is also director of North Carolina A&T State University's Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies. View Full Biography
All-American Presidential Forums on PBS:
Republican Forum
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Live broadcast/Webcast: 9-10:30 pm EDT
Watch video of the event.
Democratic Forum
Was held on Thursday, June 28, 2007
Live broadcast/Webcast: 9-10:30 pm EDT
Watch video of the event.
The Forums were simultaneously Webcast on pbs.org. Video is now available for podcast and viewing.
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