No….not another one!
How many degrees of debate fatigue are there?
Senator Hillary Clinton is challenging her Democratic Party presidential rival, Senator Barack Obama, to a debate. The call is part of the escalating rhetoric between the two as they campaign in the central state of Indiana.
Escalating rhetoric is one thing, one regrettable thing. But what the heck else can these two debate? Will they ever get around to the issues of the day?
On Saturday, Clinton called for a 90-minute debate without a moderator…Obama’s campaign aides say they are studying the debate request. Obama has complained that in the last debate, on April 16th, the moderators focused too much on political trivia and too little on real issues.
This campaign, grinding on as it is, cannot be elevating anyone. It’s becoming a contest of staying power. But will the voters hang in? They’re starting to ask more serious questions about the candidates. But it’s very late in the game.
In national polls, neither Democrat seems stronger than the other: The realclearpolitics.com average of polls as this is written shows Obama leading John McCain 46 percent to 45 percent and Clinton and McCain tied at 46 percent apiece.
Here’s where the effect of thinking late in the game has had the most impact.
Hillary Clinton’s current and tenuous popular vote lead may not persuade Democratic super-delegates to reject the candidate who has, after all, won more delegates in primaries and caucuses. But it may prompt some to think hard about Electoral College arithmetic.
Why weren’t they prompted in the early primaries?
