No Debates? - Hillary Wins in Local Markets
While the Clinton campaign continues to stoke the "Let's Debate" fires across four states with little chance of getting debates, there is payoff for the campaign via stories appearing in local press coverage. Every state thinks it deserves to be courted and one sure sign is hosting another debate.
Even if there are not debates Clinton continues to receive local press coverage when she and her surrogates reiterate calls for debates.
Howard Wolfson, a Clinton strategist/spokesperson dramatically, threw down the gauntlet mockingly speaking for Obama, ""You know, I'm going to take my marbles, I'm going to go home, I don't want to do this anymore.' Well, you know what, it's important for a presidential candidate to be able to debate well"
The National Journal's Hotline provides a dramatic example of how the debate-about-debates plays in local media outlets, visuals dominating:
With a band of like-minded area Clinton supporters, Dannie Chandler rented a yellow limousine, attached a chicken head to its roof and parked the avian display in front of the Obama office field office."He's just a chicken if he doesn't want a debate," Chandler, 64, said when reached via phone.
About 10 volunteers stood outside Obama's office for an hour and a half yesterday in the pouring rain, holding signs that read: "Too Chicken To Debate?" and "Running Scared In Indiana." Chandler and his poultry brood had to wear yellow parkas to protect themselves from the pouring rain.
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: debate about debates, local coverage, Indiana, Clinton
“Debate-about-Debates” – Media Cycles and Local News - Clinton wins Round 1
The mediated “debate-about-debates” launched by Hillary’s invitation to four debates on Super Tuesday (see “Empty Chair”) was fairly short lived, in one sense.
Before the dust had even settled from the Tuesday's voting the Obama campaign accepted two debates (By early Thursday) (Houston Chronicle ). This is one way, too often overlooked, to stem debate challenges from becoming the story itself; just accept a reasonable number and move on.
The interpretive frame regarding who is “hiding from the people” has not exactly stopped, however. Even as it appeared that Obama’s swift move might truncate the story, the spin continues.
When Obama accepted two debates, the Clinton camp responded in a manner aimed at keeping alive pressure on Obama to accept even more. "We are glad he finally accepted a debate with us, and we look forward to many more debates with him in the future," Adrienne Elrod, a spokeswoman for the Clinton campaign, said in a statement.”
Localized Spin
In addition to the national spotlight the “debate-about-debates” has a local angle that is alive and well, playing out in state media outlets, serving as a Clinton skirmish advantage. The campaign used non-acceptance for venues other than Ohio and Texas to get local headlines critical of Obama.
Read more below on the Maine, Ohio, and Chesapeake narratives.
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: Debate about debates, Clinton, Obama, Local coverage, media narratives, spin
