The NYT reported over the weekend that the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s scheduled presidential debate for Democratic candidates is moving forward, despite being co-sponsored by the Republicans’ Fox News Channel. When the Dems’ top three candidates — Clinton, Edwards, and Obama — announced that they would not participate, citing the network’s partisanship, it looked as if the event would collapse. At this point, organizers still hope to salvage a debate.
And for that, they’ll need candidates. Richardson initially said he wouldn’t attend, then said he’s undecided. Biden said he’d be there, while Dodd’s campaign wouldn’t say either way.
And then there’s Dennis Kucinich, whose campaign released a statement last night.
Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said Sunday he would definitely participate in a September debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus and scheduled to be broadcast on the Fox Television Network. Kucinich said for Sens. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama to skip the debate simply because it was to be broadcast on Fox was a snub of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“This is particularly troublesome because the concerns of African Americans should take precedent over what network is broadcasting the debate,” Kucinich said. “There are matters relating to employment, health care, education, jobs, rebuilding our cities, environment and civil rights that all presidential candidates have an obligation to address and debate. Those candidates planning to skip this debate clearly are trying to avoid a forum where there will be hard-hitting questions from people who may not agree with them. But taking questions from all sides is part of politics, and part of being President. I’m running to be President for all people in this country.”
For Kucinich to argue that Clinton, Edwards, and Obama are “snubbing” the Congressional Black Caucus is disingenuous. I know he knows better. Kucinich argues that concerns of African Americans “should take precedent” over the network cosponsoring the debate. In other words, he’s arguing that Clinton, Edwards, and Obama are more concerned with a Republican propaganda outlet than they are with issues affecting the African-American community.
This is cheap and unnecessary. Kucinich ought to be embarrassed.
Obviously, as a candidate struggling to break through, Kucinich wants as many opportunities as possible to confront the more credible candidates on a stage. He’s agreeing to participate for the same reasons Biden is — they want the free national publicity. There’s nothing wrong with this.
And if Kucinich wants to argue that Dems should appear on FNC, fine. Indeed, his statement on this includes a reasonable argument.
“America needs a President with the ability and willingness to unite people of diverse political views,” Kucinich said, “Let us never forget that the symbol of our country, the American eagle, needs two wings to fly – a left wing and a right wing. I’m prepared to reach out to all Americans.
“Certainly many Fox viewers are not part of the traditional Democratic base,” Kucinich said, “but they have a right to hear from the Democratic candidates and we as candidates have an obligation to reach out to them. Families who view Fox News have lost loved ones in Iraq, lost their jobs to NAFTA, and lost their homes to medical bills, just as have the viewers of other networks.”
Now, as regular readers know, I don’t find this persuasive, but it’s hardly ridiculous. I don’t see the logic in having Democratic candidates engaged in a Democratic primary debate in order to receive the Democratic nomination appear on the Republican network, but Kucinich says he feels differently. Fine.
But he had to push his luck. Instead of just making his case, he had to say the leading candidates want to “snub the Congressional Black Caucus.” Their concerns about African-American voters aren’t as strong as his.
Please. I’ll concede that Kucinich isn’t my favorite candidate anyway, but I really thought he was better than this.