Obama says no to NV Forum

The junior Senator of Illinois will not participate in the Nevada Democratic Presidential Candidate forum being held in Carson City. The Rest of the field will participate. Obama's schedule is not permitting him to participate.

Obama, who is scheduled to be in southern Nevada the same week, couldn't work the Nevada forum into his itinerary, campaign spokesman Dan Pfeiffer said.

"It was a difficult decision. He very much wants to spend time getting to know the people of Nevada, talking about how we move the country forward, but there are only so many days in the calendar," Pfeiffer said. "He has a vigorous Senate schedule, it makes it very difficult to do all things he wants to do."

This is a tough one to sit out for the Senator since all the other candidates will attend this forum. Although Las Vegas is where the vast majority of the Democrats are in the state, the forum in Carson City will be widely covered by the Nevada media and will draw a considerable amount of attention. I would like to see the Senator’s campaign reconsider this move. AFSCME is sponsoring this event and I would hate to see Obama’s campaign disappoint them since they do play a big role in the primary process.

•  A Shame, But I Respect It

  It will hurt Obama's campaign a bit, but hopefully in the long run won't make much difference.

  I'm sure he doesn't mean disrespect, but I'm sure there is something sort of de-humanizing about these "cattle calls."  And, like so many, I worry about these Senators who could be doing important work spending all their time campaigning.  So - if indeed it is his Senate schedule - then I respect that decision.

  But hey, that's just me.

  by dansac on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 12:46:16 PM PDT

•  He doesn't want to debate

  I think the scheduling excuse is just that an excuse.  He can be there if he wants.  I think he wants to be above it all and be able to maintain the aura of being about change without having to get specific.

  by jct on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 12:51:23 PM PDT

  •  That is NOT TRUE! He is going to be in Iowa

    It was already planned.

    by Lady Bird Johnson on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 01:58:26 PM PDT

  •  not true

    The format: Candidates will appear on stage individually, give a statement and answer a series of questions posed by a moderator.

    This isn't a debate. If you go to his senate website, read his speeches, or read his new book, his interview with politico.com, these contain more than enough information on Obama's views.  

    by dpg220 on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 07:29:41 AM PDT

•  I'd like him to be there

  to see how a man handles his peers says a lot about him. A President acts through his secretaries and staff, often chairing round tables and internal policy debates.

  He can make up his visit later, that forum cannot be made up.

  by Paul Goodman on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 12:52:52 PM PDT

•  Whoever Said Obama Is "Ambitious"

  is either looking at a different Obama than the one I know, or not looking at the examples of John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, so on.  Obama doesn't even seem to want it by comparative standards.

  Obama's wife (long understood to be uncomfortable with a campaign) may yet be putting the pressure on him, as other bloggers covered in the past.

  by Nulwee on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 12:53:29 PM PDT

  •  ...in light of this campaign blunder n/t

    by Nulwee on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 12:54:17 PM PDT

  •  To paraphrase Seinfeld

    There's nothing wrong with being ambitious.

    by davybaby on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 01:39:29 PM PDT

    •  Not (necessarily) at all

      I'm not sure what Obama thinks he's doing, but it doesn't look like winning a campaign.

      by Nulwee on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 02:14:17 PM PDT

•  The Senator will be in Las Vegas that week

  which is a good thing since the majority of Democrats live in Clark County. However, this forum will get major coverage not only in NV but across the country. Again, I hope his campaign reconsiders.

  by LV Pol Girl on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 01:03:38 PM PDT

  •  Good for Obama

    It is just ridiculous that some states are trying to hold debates this early.  This is a time when candidates should be...

    1. Taking care of their elected office duties.

    2. Engaging in retail politics via more intimate campaign settings.

    I'm glad Obama has put his foot down on this.  

    by JR Hawks on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 01:15:55 PM PDT

•  It seems a strange way to campaign for president

  Obama is taking an interesting campaign track.    David Sirot summed it up very well here in his posting titled "hope is neither a movement nore a campaign platform".

  Obama is offering "hope" while Edwards is churning out strong specific progressive policy positions.   Perhaps he doesn't want to be on the same stage right away.

  It seems a strange way to campaign for president.   Didn't Bush try the same thing in 00 and then eventually had to start attending the forums.

  by AlanR on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 01:26:09 PM PDT

  •  Obama has specifics

    Read his plan on Iraq. Obama probably doesnt want to have to sit through Hillary's triangulation and Edwards  1 millionth apology for his Iraq vote.

    by jj32 on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 01:31:56 PM PDT

    •  "I voted for it before I voted against it."

      "I don't regret my vote."  

      by Lady Bird Johnson on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 02:01:01 PM PDT

•  Smart move--let HRC and Edwards serve

  as the targets for everyone else (including each other).

  by Geekesque on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 01:57:08 PM PDT

•  They're ALL going to be missing some forums

  With Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada (and possibly others) having very early primaries or caucuses, there are going to be a LOT of candidate forums, and I seriously doubt that any of the candidates who are current public officeholders are going to make every one of them.  Frankly, if they DO make all of them, it's hard to understand how they're going to be doing the jobs that they're getting paid to do.

  by leevank on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 02:43:20 PM PDT

•  It's a forum, not a debate . . .

  In which each candidate is being given an hour to meet with AFSCME.  It's not an side-by-side, on-stage type of debate. So, no one's going to be serving as targets for anyone else.  And, this is pretty intimate retail politics.  Also, he's not missing it because of his Senate schedule.  

  Finally, supporters of Edwards, Obama, and Clinton should remember that these 3 candidates requested and got a secret meeting with the DNC last weekend to try to get the DNC to do something about early forums/debates.  In other words they don't want to offend anyone by saying no, so they want the DNC to do it for them.  One of Obama's advisors said there's no reason to have any debates before October.  

  So much for Obama "the new kind of politician" practicing a "new kind of politics".  If he was some "new" kind of politician, he'd just be up-front and honest and admit that doing forums/debates at this point in the campaign is not in his best interest.  Because, as people who've been following politics and political campaigns for a long time can tell you, early frontrunners don't want to debate until they absolutely have to, because one little slip and they drop like a rock.  

  by latinjum on Thu Feb 08, 2007 at 05:30:32 PM PDT

  •  was with you until the last part

    Obama has done tons of interviews, recently with politico.com and USA today. that's all this is. frontrunners avoid debates because they could get stunk in the crossfire, but as you said this isn't a debate.

    I think Obama should just do the interview remotely if at all possible.

    by dpg220 on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 07:35:08 AM PDT