Debate-about-Debates - Round 3 - Going Public
The ongoing debate-about-debate initiated by the Clinton campaign a week ago continues, turning up the heat with a new ad running in Wisconsin that chides Obama for ducking voters. The jury is out on which campaign will win this round, but the move further illustrates how debates interact with campaigns.
The unknown factor is the effect, if any, the spot will have on actual voters. Voters have lives and may not know the context privy to political insiders and junkies. The ad asks they conclude Obama has spurned Wisconsin or has something to hide.
It also may be the case that the ad will make little sense when voters are seeing Obama on every newscast greeting Wisconsin voters. Simple word-of-mouth from the tens of thousands of Obama rally attendees (17,000 in Madison alone) may reach even the least involved voter. In the age of news and more news, when candidate speeches are viewed by millions on-line, the proportion of voters who "don't have a clue" is a rapidly shrinking.
Round 3: Practical effects of debate-about-debates below
