Just a short diary for those who missed it, story picked up by Politico's Michael Calderone:
Hillary Clinton will appear in a live town hall meeting Sunday on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."Just two days before the primaries, ABC's town hall event will be broadcast live from Indiana, and also include viewer questions from North Carolina. "This Week" host Stephanopoulos is moderating.
ABC News has also extended offers to both Sen. Barack Obama and John McCain, according to a network spokesperson.
This is not surprising to me. In the days following Hillary Clinton's decisive victory in Pennsylvania, Barack Obama resumed a stump style that some have called "a campaign about campaigning." He decried what he considered uncivilized treatment by ABC's moderators, denounced the entire debate as a distraction, and, in the minds of some, even managed to flip Hillary the bird. It was a degree of irony that can only be described as audacious: insisting that we need to talk about issues, while doing nothing of the sort, merely complaining and posturing instead.
Hillary issued a bold proposal: a debate without moderation, the candidates themselves framing the question. The idea was popular with many folks on this site, from both camps, and gained traction in the media. But Barack would have none of it. And, honestly, who could blame him? Why give your opponent free airtime when you can simply outspend them in ads? Why risk another embarassing performance under pressure? Better to stick with short, carefully scripted soundbites, and spend your opponent into the ground.
It makes sense to me, and while I am disappointed with his decision, I certainly don't begrudge him for it.
But, as I spoke to my friends, I began to consider just how profitable these debates are for the networks that host them. Contrary to the claim that folks are bored of these debates, the last one was apparently one of the most widely-viewed televised events ever (beaten only by American Idol: I guess we're not quite there yet). As I considered the dollars involved, and Barack's condescending, even scolding tone toward the media, I started to wonder:
Maybe they're going to flip him off.
Maybe it was unwise for Barack to bite the hand that has fed him so generously over these past months. Maybe, and this is a longshot, but maybe the media was getting a bit.. bored with him?
It seems to me the punditocracy is calling Barack's bluff. Does he really think he can do this without their help? That is the question. And, while this is surely no game-changer, I cannot help but think that Hillary's having a nationally televised townhall meeting, for free, the Sunday before an important pair of primaries, is helpful to her.
So, what do you think? Will Barack show up after all? Or is he going to sit this one out?
Update 1: Al Rodgers informed us that Barack will be conducting a more scripted event on Meet the Press instead. I have this image in my mind of the two candidates standing in opposite corners of a room with their arms crossed. Anyone else?
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