Posted: March 14, 2008 6:35 PM
Obama, Clinton Agree on One Thing -- At least One More Debate
 Email This
While the Democratic contenders agreed Friday to face-off in Philadelphia in an ABC debate on April 16, only Sen. Barack Obama signed off on second CBS-sponsored debate in North Carolina on April 19th.
“Senator Obama welcomes the opportunity to openly debate Senator Clinton on the issues important to Americans in North Carolina and Pennsylvania and hopes that she will accept these invitations as well,” said the Obama campaign, according to the Raleigh Chronicle.
Clinton’s delay in confirming the debate in North Carolina — which holds its primary on May 6 — may stem from Obama camp accusations that Clinton was “basically ruling out” the state, the Charlotte Observer reported. While not denying Obama’s accusation, the Clinton campaign instead sought to minimize the Ill. senator’s ability to win in traditionally Republican states. Clinton senior adviser Harold Ickes told the New York Times Wednesday that Obama’s wins in traditionally Republican states are going to have little weight in the general election.
“They’re great states, but Idaho, Nebraska and the Carolinas are not going to be in the Democratic column in November,” he said. “He’s winning the Democratic process, but that is virtually irrelevant to the general election.”
Ickes’ statement sparked some debate over whether North Carolina is truly a red state.
“Traditionally, we may have been red in years past, but the American people are looking for leadership and they are looking across party lines,” Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said of North Carolina, which has 115 Democratic delegates, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Another theory on Clinton’s hesitation is that she does not want to downplay the importance of 158-delegate rich Pennsylvania, a state that votes on April 22, where she currently leads Obama 52 to 36 percent, recent polls report.
If Clinton does agree to the North Carolina debate, sponsored by CBS, the event will be moderated by network anchors Katie Couric and Bob Shieffer.
-- By , NewsHour with Jim Lehrer | Comments | Link
|
Vote 2008 Subscriptions 
Regarding the race and the drumbeat "He's Black!" The Clintons have successfully morphed Obama into THE BLACK candidate, not the candidate who happens to be black. That's why, as was noted tonight, he's suddenly losing 'white' votes. He won Iowa, Wyoming, Idaho ... not exactly bastions of African Americans ... based on who HE is and what he stands for. It is infuriating that even around the table tonight it seemed to be acceptable for Ferraro to say Obama wouldn't be where he was if he were white. Advantage? Look at the prisons, look at the ghettos, look at who's most likely to be poor, to be picked up by the police while driving, to be accused of stealing while shopping, to be washing toilets and sweeping floors. And he has the advantage because he's black? No. It is because he is Barack Obama, the most hopeful, inspiring, wise, thoughtful and inclusive candidate we've seen since JFK, but only better. And all in spite of being an African American with the quizzical name of Obama.