Charlotte Forum

Last night there was a forum (hosted by the South Carolina NAACP, which is boycotting SC) in Charlotte for presidential candidates. Thanks to travel delays, only Kucinich, Sharpton, and Clark showed up for the actual forum. What's more Kucinich and Sharpton left early... but here's the thing: the last thirty minutes of debate was just between the moderator and Clark, with the audience asking questions as well. And damn! I gotta say, I was kind of disappointed with how Clark didn't show so much substance in the debates (haven't seen the Arizona one though) but here, he got question after question and handled them all extremely well. He's getting quite a command of the issues.

He's got quite a handshake too.

Was anybody else here at the Charlotte Forum?

Can you tell us more of the details? Thanks!

Policy-wise, I wasn't taking notes or anything, but the Patriot Act came up at one point. I think Sharpton and Kucinich said they would repeal it, while Clark (this was not one of his finer moments of teh debate unfortunately) said "let's read it first."

Sharpton talked about wanting to rebuild America's infrastructure, create a light rail system. I think it's pretty much what he's been saying all along. In his opening remarks, Sharpton mentioned how everybody slammed Clark on Thursday night, and how they should keep their eye on the prize. Clark was sitting right next to him, he kind of smiled.

There was, of course, more than that. But what impressed me most was definitely when everybody but Clark had left, and he took question after question. He got one especially good line in, kind of in response to criticism about his late entry to the party... (paraphrasing here) "I'm pro-choice, pro-environment, pro-labor. Either I'd be the loneliest Republican in the world, or I'd be a happy Democrat."

Thanks for the first hand account...I listened on cpan radio.

Clark's position re: Patriot Act is that we need to take it apart line by line. He concludes with "Personally, I'm against it." I like the position because he sounds reasoned in his opposition to the act. He also makes a joke of the saying how he has read it several times and believes no one knows what's in the act. He also believes that America deserves to learn what it is in the act.

What I liked about the forum was how it was handled. One question was given and then three responses. Damn, real information came out. Three people that I wanted to listen to.

We really need fewer candidates...In an hour debate, how many minutes do they get? The math is not in favor of democracy. But all the candidates have enough cash to go the distance, which is good...and bad.

During the Arizona debate, Gen. Clark said to a US Army 2nd Lt., in the audience, who asked...

QUESTION: Well, my question is when one of you guys get elected, for the military families, what are your programs to help them out? I'm looking at -- are there going to be base closures? Are there going to be pay increases, that sort of thing? That's about it.

WOODRUFF: Who wants to...

CLARK: Well, I'll answer that, Judy.

(LAUGHTER)

WOODRUFF: All right. General Clark and then right back to Senator Lieberman.

CLARK: I think there's a fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats on this issue, because it's simply true, the Republicans do like weapon systems and Democrats like people. (APPLAUSE)

SOURCE:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A5841-2003Oct9?language=printer

Regarding your observation about the number of candidates: Absolutely right on. Perhaps the organizers could reformat the forums so only three or four canditates appear at one time?

sport's playoffs format. :-)

We should have a best of 3 until we have two candidates left to debate each other. :-)

they could have a shoot-out. Like minor league hockey. ;-)

I like the position because he sounds reasoned in his opposition to the act.

He does the exact same thing with Bush. He manages to discredit Bush, paint him as someone not fit to be commander-in-chief, and do it in a logical, effective, and reasonable way. He can demolish Bush without appearing like a raving lunatic.

He also believes that America deserves to learn what it is in the act.


Yeah, I like the fact that he's putting the decision and responsibility in the hands of the people. I like the book mobile idea.

People are Republicans for many different reasons. Not all of which are the polar opposite of standard liberal beliefs.

Edwards,Gep, and Carol B. had trouble with their transportation, and didn't get there untill late, but spoke with the people after the debate was over..Gep and Edwards made the meeting late, but I don't think Carol was able to even get to the meeting.

why Dean, Kerry, Lieberman chose to skip this NAACP meeting?

I don't know about the others, but Lieberman had to skip in order to observe the Sabbath.

Just wondering why they decided to skip out on this NAACP event.

Damn, I really wanted to see it on TV......

Then the following days on C-span, they just had boring re-runs....what was up with that?

I wish there was video of it somewhere that we could see. I hope the lack of media coverage wasn't the reason Dean and Kerry decided to skip out on this NAACP event. The other candidates have all be accounted for except those two. Do any Dean or Kerry supporters know why they opted out?

particularly given how some Dean supporters beat up on the other candidates for belatedly accepting the invitation to speak at the NAACP Convention this summer. I remember one Dean person saying that Dean's appearance at the convention showed respect for the organization and minorities and that the other candidates' failure to initially accept was a reflection of their lack of commitment.

Hmmm.

Conyers endorsed DK.

particularly given how some Dean supporters beat up on the other candidates for belatedly accepting the invitation to speak at the NAACP Convention this summer.

I try to stay out of candidate bashing threads, so I wouldn't know. But if that's true, you're right -- they seem to be conspicously silent.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/10/14/black_voters_are_a_key_as_dean_courts_south/

Black voters are a key as Dean courts South
By Sarah Schweitzer, Globe Staff, 10/14/2003

The man is a Yankee.

But having leapt to the forefront in New Hampshire and Iowa among Democratic contenders, Dean is now trying to establish himself in the region that was pivotal to President Bush's win in 2000 as well as Bill Clinton's victory in 1992 and that is an expected battleground in 2004. Republicans are strong here, but Democrats see hope in a strong turnout of African-Americans, who make up nearly half of Democratic voters in the Deep South, and more in South Carolina, which holds the crucial first Southern primary.

With that in mind, on a recent Friday night Dean marched into a town hall meeting at the Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church in this coastal city. His campaign was particularly excited about the gathering, billing it as an opportunity for Dean to connect with black voters. Indeed, the pews were crammed with Southerners eager to hear the former Vermont governor, some with cameras to capture the moment, some from as far away as Raleigh, N.C. And many seemed quite taken by him.

But the audience was nearly all white, many of them Dean fans who had heard about the event through the campaign. The church's largely black congregation had been told of Dean's visit the Sunday before at services, but few came.

The parts you bolded are of particular concern.

This was how one Dean supporter criticized other candidates for not immediately accepting the NAACP's invitation to attend its annual convention:

"Howard Dean made the effort to attend the Prez forum at the NAACP convention this year. Kerry & Edwards were going to bypass it until they got publicly scolded . . . If these guys were so race-friendly, whey didn't they willingly go to the Prez convention NAACP convention? Bypassing it was a sign of disrespect to the NAACP and African Americans. These guys can talk all they want about race relations, but when it comes time to meet with the black faction of the Democratic base, they choose to spurn it. Actions speak as loudly as words."

Pretty harsh condemnation. Now, however, Dean folks are strangely silent about Dean's failure to attend the NAACP forum in Charlotte last week.

Mind you - I don't think it's a big deal that Dean missed this event. I assume he had a good reason and don't believe his absence reflects any bad will or disrespect toward African Americans. But I can't help but wonder if the people attacked the other candidates' belated acceptance of the earlier NAACP invitation believe that Dean deserves similar criticism.

Mind you - I don't think it's a big deal that Dean missed this event. I assume he had a good reason and don't believe his absence reflects any bad will or disrespect toward African Americans. But I can't help but wonder if the people attacked the other candidates' belated acceptance of the earlier NAACP invitation believe that Dean deserves similar criticism.

Agreed.

While I respect many Dean supporters and have said so in other threads, it sounds like some of them are applying a double standard. Now we know what type of people have signed onto the Stop Clark Brigade.