Tag: Tavis Smiley
"All American Presidential Forum" Served Many Political Masters
Billed as a "Covenant with Black America," six GOP Presidential contenders debated last night at Morgan State University in Baltimore. I have a duel purpose in commenting on the Forum: (1) the role of sponsor/topic focused debates and (2) comment on the actual event.
The "Black issues" forum raises the issue of specialty debates in the primary process. There are predicted to be nearly thirty or so primary presidential political debates, forums, hookups, etc., many hosted by "special interest groups." Some might dismiss the Covenant Forum as another boutique debate, and from one perspective it is, ostensibly limiting topical content and directing a laser beam on the party's relationship with minority voters.
It also can be seen as more than the likes of the Values Voter debate in Fort Lauderdale or the Democrat AARP Health Care debate in Davenport Iowa last week. Arguably it was a "network hosted" (most would give PBS that status) and addresses minorities who, collectively, will not long be a minority. Even more pointedly the "race issue" is party to all Americans.
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: All American Forum, forum, GOP, Huckabee, Tavis Smiley, primary debate, PBS
Reviewing the Howard University Democratic Debate
If you have not watched or heard last night's debate, you can go here to do so on the web, and check C-Span listings.
If you have watched, or if you want a preview, click "Read more . . . " There's MUCH more below the fold, analysis of the candidates and the format.
A round up of the thoughts of the blogosphere and the rest of the media will follow tomorrow.
Please add your thoughts in the comments.
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: Tavis Smiley, democratic presidential primary, 2008 elections, debate, debates
Liveblog of Howard U. Debate
Use the comments to discuss the debate as it unfolds.
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: 2008 elections, Tavis Smiley, democratic primary
Preview of tonight's debate
This is a quick set of things to think about and look for tonight.
- Format. Will the format, that equalizes opportunity to answer questions, help some of the lower tier candidates seem to be more impressive? As Dodd's Talk Clock showed us, previous debates were so tilted to Clinton, Obama and Edwards that the debates further diminished those not in the top tier.
- What are the best questions for issues most relevant to African Americans? Health care and jobs are of concern to all, of course, as is Iraq. Recent statistics show a 30% plus drop in African American military enlistment attributable largely to Iraq, for instance.
But trade is an issue that has not been dealt with in previous debates and immigration, following today's Senate rejection of a bill, are economic issues that may deserve more attention than they have received in earlier Democratic debates.
I would ask about the nation's drug laws. Our drug laws are share a great deal of the responsibility for the fact that a huge percentage of African American males are now or have been in prison. It's been called "The New Jim Crow."
After today's Supreme Court decision rejecting the integration plans of the Louisville and Seattle schools, there is likely to be a question about the educational needs of African Americans.
A reparations question would be great. The answer, whatever it is, would require the candidate to speak in a principled way.
Affirmative action, affordable college loans, access to health care are all too easy and do not really expose distinctions among the Democratic candidates.
- Will Edwards continue to try to act like Obama and Hillary are somehow too timid? Edwards has his poverty agenda and often uses a passive/aggressive approach ("hope is not enough") to try to assert himself. In the last debate the attacks on Obama and Hillary did not seem to have much effect and may have helped Obama.
- Is extra pressure on Obama to prove that a) he is "really black" and b) that he can debate well? My guess is no an yes, respectively. The consensus is that Obama improved from the first debate to the second. The "authentically black" question seems to have disappeared.
- How can Hillary best cash in on the "first black president" reputation of her husband?
- Fun stuff. Will Richardson still remind us in every answer that he is a governor? Will Biden embarrass himself? Will Dodd sound at all presidential? Who will seem least relevant, Kucinich or Gravel?
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: Tavis Smiley, democratic primary, 2008 elections, minorities
