Usually, candidates are open to having as many debates as possible. Unlike being on the campaign trail, it allows you to go head-to-head with your opponent and give voters a chance to weigh the differences between the candidates. For some reason (and we can all offer our guesses for the real reason) Barack Obama doesn’t want another debate before the potentially crucial Indiana and North Carolina primaries.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Sunday he would not hold another debate with rival Hillary Clinton until after the May 6 nominating contests in North Carolina and Indiana.
Clinton had challenged the Illinois senator and front-runner for the Democratic White House nomination to a 90-minute debate in Indiana without a moderator, but Obama turned her down.
“We’ve got nine days to try to campaign and reach as many voters as possible, and so rather than being in a studio, I want to make sure that we’re reaching out to folks where they live, answering their questions,” Obama told reporters.
After his subpar performance at the previous debate, it’s not surprising that he doesn’t want another debate until after the next batch of primary contests. He obviously feels he has more to lose than to gain from another debate at this point. Recent blunders combined with the ongoing Rezko and Wright stories have been chipping away at Obama’s so-called squeaky clean image.
But, this is a contest where both Democrats admit that when it comes to policy, that there’s not much difference between the two of them. With that in mind, another debate is extremely important so undecideds can potentially make their decision by seeing them debate. Obama’s refusal for another debate just makes him appear cowardly, not strategically smart. And it only gives Hillary more fodder for claiming he’s not been properly vetted.
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