Prometheus 6   

What the hell is THIS about?

I'm over quoting here because I didn't hear about this agreement before. This really looks like a multi-level image play. The four guys in the "agreement" are the DNC's recognized players. Agreeing "not to meet on the same stage" makes the DNC's debates look like a bigger deal because they will be the only ones able to pull all the candidates together. The appearance of all nine candidates in one place is a more newsworthy event than the appearance of some fraction thereof. I also get the sense it casts the other five as also-rans, though I can't rationally explain that perception on my part.

Democratic appearance deal falls apart

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards changed their minds and decided to appear with other Democratic presidential candidates at the NAACP's presidential forum on Monday.

Kerry's aides said the Massachusetts senator initially refused to take part in the forum to honor a verbal agreement quietly reached with three of his rivals - Edwards of North Carolina, Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

Under the agreement, the candidates would not share a stage other than during six debates being organized by the Democratic National Committee.

That would mean convincing the various groups that invite them to speak to give each candidate a designated time instead of having them appear together.

…The NAACP was one such group and had invited all nine Democratic candidates to their convention on Monday.

Such forums are supposed to give the candidates a chance to woo Democratic voters, but the campaigns have received so many invitations this year that the forums are creating scheduling headaches. All nine candidates agreed that the Democratic National Committee would sponsor six official televised debates beginning in September.

Even though that agreement did not prevent the candidates from appearing at any other events, Kerry aides said four of the campaigns took it a step further in an attempt to bring order to their overall schedules.

Edwards originally said he would skip the NAACP forum because of scheduling conflicts, as did Gephardt, Lieberman and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. Their decision irked NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, who said, "Anyone running for national office is a fool to ignore this group."

Kerry initially agreed to attend the convention but - to honor his informal agreement with Edwards, Gephardt Lieberman - said he would not participate unless he could address the audience without the other candidates on stage.

But Edwards decided late Sunday to cancel his campaign events Monday in Iowa to participate and Kerry then agreed to take part, too - under the ground rules set by the NAACP.

Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton were scheduled to appear all along.

posted by Prometheus 6 at 7/15/2003 08:31:05 AM |