>>>>>>>>>>>>If you want to see a politician compressing a complex issue into a sound bite for personal gain, read Obama's speech that day.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I couldn't believe Obama compared the VT shootings with jobs going over seas and the Imus statements. Great way to trivialize the victims of VT shooting.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>The more he talks the more I understand why his handlers try keep him under wrap.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Keep him under wraps? Hardly. You may be thinking of the incumbent.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Obama is going to be the next President so you may as well start getting used to him.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I can't trust someone who has a habit of dodging debates for stupid reason.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Dodging what debates? I don't follow his campaign on a moment to moment basis but haven't heard anything like that. I didn't even know there have been any debates yet.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>He and other dem. hopful won;t participate in any debate sponsored by the FoxNews.
>>>>>http://news.aol.com/elections/president/story/_a/obama-clinton-to-skip-fox-hosted-debate/20070409171009990002?ecid=RSS0001
>>>>>
>>>>>They will debate only for democrats and liberals but not conservatives.
>>>>
>>>>Frankly, I don't see a democrat avoiding a FoxNews sponsored event as cowardice, but rather as a sign of intelligence.
>>>
>>>Would you apply the same assessment to a republican avoiding CNN debates?
>>
>>Anybody who would participate in a debate run by an outfit clearly biased in direct opposition to the debater's platform is a fool. they can't help but come out looking bad. Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal, lumberjack or tree-hugger.
>
>There are no unbiased media outlets so following your logics every public debate set by media is a meeting of fools. It is regretful. Imho, having different opinion but still showing willingness to debate, or just discourse, with people of different mind is quite far from 'fool' label, especially if applied to mainstream politics.

A debate is by definition between people of different ideas. That's not the issue. Would you play in say, a basketball game, if you knew beforehand that the referees were definitely rooting for the other team and would probably use their powers to try to see that the other team won? Now that would be a foolish waste of your time and energy.

I agree that most media outlets are biased. Debates should not be run by media outlets, they should only be followed by medial outlets.