"The political blog Huffington Post, online portal Yahoo and Slate Magazine will host the debates -- one for Democratic candidates, one for Republicans -- sometime after Labor Day, with PBS host Charlie Rose serving as moderator, the sponsors planned to announce Monday."and
"Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has agreed to introduce the Democratic debate, Huffington said. She said the campaigns had all been
contacted about the idea and most had indicated an interest in participating."
Howard Dean certainly will not mind looking more like a leader than his famous scream would indicate. A good move on his part if he has eyes toward 2012.
Charlie Rose will host the thing. In his show, he can sometimes talk too much, but he is smart, and not as much of a kiss-up as his competitor Larry "I Throw Softballs to My Guests" King.
I'm not sure about the others, but Huffington and Rose are both noted for their Democratic perspective. Still, journalistically, I hope that they can set down their politics to, um, discuss politics.
It should be a great forum for Barack Obama, who can handle a podium probably better than any of the others. He needs as much face time as he can get, as he works to reduce the question of experience. With the increased exposure, he'll become ingrained in the minds of voters. By the time the primaries roll around, he'll appear more experienced. It is like microwave ovens. We have had them so long that we cannot remember life without them. In reality, most of America has had a microwave only since around 1980.
Hillary, in turn, needs to show she's not a lightening rod pro-choice, pro-gay liberal, but a middle of the road candidate who can debate intelligently against one of politics smoothest talkers. She can do this, and, although her politics and views will not change, might even appeal to undecideds who will forget her more divisive views. It will help that on most of those hot button issues, Obama agrees with her, so there's little to debate.
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