Clinton drives home her Lincoln-Douglas debate idea and Obama demurs -- again

Anytime you hear a candidate in American politics propose a Lincoln-Douglas style debate, you know they're losing.

Hillary Clinton is making that proposal daily now. (See video below.) She knows Barack Obama is not going to accept. He's said that many times, including on national TV to Chris Wallace on 'Fox News Sunday,' where he finally appeared after two years of delays.

He's got nothing to gain by accepting -- give in and give her more TV face time with voters when, frankly, debating hasn't been his strong suit, especially the last one when he got pressed harder. And now his good friend, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is back on the scene talking trash and raising new questions for the media.

As a debate response, Obama says he wants to spend the remaining time until May 6 meeting real voters and hearing and addressing their genuine concerns. He says he recalls from school days that....

...the toughest playground talker wasn't always so tough.

The Lincoln-Douglas debates were actually seven three-hour encounters around the state of Illinois in 1858 as Abraham Lincoln, who was still two years away from prime-time and seven years from assassination, argued with Stephen Douglas for three hours at a time in what is remembered as eloquent verbal confrontations. With no microphones, mind you. It was Lincoln's last election loss.

Candidates who are behind bring up those debates when they want to throw down a high-minded-sounding challenge. Clinton's proposal is for a 90-minute encounter with her Senate colleague, no moderator, just each one asking the other tough questions. Let the voters see for themselves, don't you know.

She'll drive this point home endlessly -- and hopelessly -- for the next seven days to feed the nascent impression or worry that Obama is not a tough enough fighter for the fall general election campaign.

Some columnists over the weekend suggested his above-the-fray attitude is wearing thin, raising concerns among some Democrats, contrasted with Clinton's scrappy gut-fighting. If he's afraid of debating a fellow Democrat, what's he gonna do when he confronts the former fighter pilot?

Since Clinton can't really catch Obama mathematically in delegates, her best hope is to feed doubts in the minds of superdelegates so that come June and the primaries' end, they'll disregard the numbers and go for the toughest-looking and most electable candidate, namely her.

Even if they don't and they swing the nomination to Obama to avoid a profound party split, she's positioned herself perfectly as the natural go-to girl in 2012 if the young Obama loses to the old man. Told you so, but she'd never say that, of course.

Clinton, fresh from a nearly double-digit win last week in yet another major Midwestern state the Democrats must win come November, doesn't seem the least bit unsure of herself, as you can see for yourself in this new video below.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Nova yos Galan]

Obama may espouse a new form of politics. However, he should distance himself further from Wright. Is Obama saying what he has to say to get elected as Wright asserts? In all his 20 years in Wright's congregation, can he honestly say that he never heard the white or America bashing? Wright asserts that whites don't understand, that it is a biblical thing to say something like God Damn America. OK, maybe I don't understand. So when the Jihadists say Death to America, we should give them the benefit of a doubt, right? White America just doesn't understand Islam either, I guess. Well, I didn't enslave Wright or his ancestors. I offer a sincere apology for the wrong-doing of my ancestors, however, and believe the country should enact a national day of apology. But Wright's clever evasion of answers (if you didn't hear the entire sermon, you don't deserve an answer), AND the media's not challenging him by not following up and just tossing soft balls is old fashioned race relations. If you criticize Wright, you attack the Black church. Oh, oh! Back off! Don't want to be labled a racist. Black leaders, please tell us what you want. In specifics, not generalities like 'everyone has to be equal.' If everyone were equal, I would make as much as my male counterparts. Please just tell me what you want me as a middle aged white woman to do, and I will try to do it. Ironically, Wright is in the position to hold out the olive branch. Only Nixon could go to China. And if he really means he's for change, Obama should be the one to challenge him to do so.

[Bronxx]

Nova - You're worried about Wright? Really? Obama distanced himself about as far as one possibly can from Wright's statements, but he showed what I consider to be a high degree of class (and wisdom) in not simply casting the man off entirely. To sever all ties completely would be impossible and the sort of politically cut-throat move that everyone claims to oppose so much. I'm willing to believe Obama that he never heard the worst of Wright's statements, but he's admitted he heard controversial things and race-based rhetoric. When you see/listen to the complete sermons, it's hard to find fault with SOME of Wright's statements, and where I disagree with him I recognize that I have a much different perspective and experiences that shape my opinions. I also happen to agree with Wright's "evasion" of answers - If all you've heard is the soundbites and you haven't taken the time to listen to the context, then you really don't deserve an answer. And what are we giving the jihadists the "benefit of the doubt" about? That the U.S. foreign policy to date has royally screwed over the Middle East for the past couple decades, or that their religion has been twisted to manipulate them to serve an agenda of hatred (that is rooted in the results of those policies)? I don't approve of the way Islam has been twisted to the hateful cariacature espoused by those who have attacked us, but we have to share some of the blame for sowing the seeds from which that hatred sprang. Are their actions justified? No - Nothing could possibly justify the atrocities committed. Is their anger justified? Sadly, yes. Review your history, do the research, and get back to me. Same with Wright's background. As someone once said to me, "Try telling a rape victim to just put it all behind them and forgive past injustices against them."

[FRANK TELLS]

I WANT TO FIX HILLARY CLINTON FOR STAYING WITH BILL WHEN SHE SHOULD HAVE DIVORCED HIM OVER:
1. HIS ANTIMASTURBATION
2. HIS CHEATING ADULTERY
ALSO IM AGAINST HER NOT LISTENING TO ME ABOUT VOTING AGAINST THE ANTI POKER BILL (PHONE CALLS, LETTERS) AND RECEIVING FUNDING FROM HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY OVERCHARGING AND AGE DISCRIMINATING. I ALSO BELIEVE LIKE JOE LIEBERMAN THAT BILL CLINTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED AFTER ILLEGALLY CHEATING ON HIS WIFE.

[FRANK TELLS]

I WANT TO FIX HILLARY CLINTON FOR STAYING WITH BILL WHEN SHE SHOULD HAVE DIVORCED HIM OVER:
1. HIS ANTIMASTURBATION
2. HIS CHEATING ADULTERY
ALSO IM AGAINST HER NOT LISTENING TO ME ABOUT VOTING AGAINST THE ANTI POKER BILL (PHONE CALLS, LETTERS) AND RECEIVING FUNDING FROM HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY OVERCHARGING AND AGE DISCRIMINATING. I ALSO BELIEVE LIKE JOE LIEBERMAN THAT BILL CLINTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED AFTER ILLEGALLY CHEATING ON HIS WIFE.

[b]

How about a 3-hr Lincoln-Douglas on the radio? No co-location necessary, just focus. The format should not be altered. Substance takes the long view.