Barack Obama has accepted both invitations to the April 16th debate in Pennsylvania and the April 19th debate in North Carolina.
Senator Clinton ran two television spots in Wisconsin accusing Obama of not wanting to debate the issues with her in that state. Clinton at that time was desperate to get on the stage and debate Obama because she believed she had an advantage in that setting.
Obama has stepped up his game when it comes to debates. In Texas and Ohio, Obama was relaxed, cool, and articulate. Obama showed in the last two debates that Hillary’s debating advantage had disappeared.
Obama’s confidence as a debater may very well be the reason that he has agreed to debate and she has not. Obama and his campaign feel that a debate will not do any damage to him and may help him.
Howard Wolfson of the Clinton campaign said, “I am quite confident that there will be additional debates and that we will work with networks and the Obama campaign to figure out the appropriate location and venue and media outlet.”
The Clinton campaign seems to be waiting to make sure that additional debates will not hurt their candidate as she gets closer to Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
Wolfson’s statement is meant to buy time. The location has been set, the media outlet is set for CBS, and a date has been set for April 19th.
Clinton’s history during this campaign has shown that hypocrisy is no obstacle. Senator Clinton and her campaign will do anything in order to win. In Wisconsin that may mean attacking Obama for not debating her and in North Carolina that may mean ducking him.
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