Thompson Refuses To Debate At Historically Black College

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson has become the fourth leading GOP presidential candidate to shun the PBS debate this month at a historically black college in Baltimore, the Huffington Post has learned.

The debates, moderated by Tavis Smiley, will go on as planned, despite the absence of Thompson, former mayor Rudy Giuliani, former governor Mitt Romney, and Sen. John McCain. Each campaign cited scheduling issues as the reason for their absence. Nevertheless, the rejections underscore the consistent absence of GOP candidates at minority voter forums.

"There is a pattern here," Smiley told the Huffington Post. "When you tell every black and brown request that you get throughout the primary process that 'no, there's a scheduling problem.' That's a pattern... Are we really supposed to believe that all four of these guys couldn't make it because of scheduling?"

The Republican frontrunners' snubbing of Smiley and PBS comes on the heels of their rejection of a debate sponsored by the Spanish-language network Univision (McCain was the only GOP candidate to accept that invitation). This past June, only one Republican presidential candidate, California Rep. Duncan Hunter, showed up at the convention of the National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials.

"It's not just that they are not coming. It's that some of them are visibly insulting us," Cecilia Munoz, vice president of NCLR, told the Politico.

According to Smiley, the Thompson campaign knew about the debate - taking place at 9 pm on September 27 at Morgan State University- well before he declared his candidacy. Former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman chose the date because it worked best for all the potential candidates, Smiley said.

An official on Thompson's staff called up the PBS host on Monday to deliver the message.

"I told them I thought they were making a grave mistake and I thought they should reconsider," said Smiley. The Thompson campaign did not respond for a request for comment by the time of print.

The five other Republican candidates for president have all committed to the PBS debate and Smiley plans to proceed with the plans - albeit with four empty lecterns on stage.

"Unlike Univision which cancelled their debate, unlike CNN, which changed their date [of the YouTube debate] we are going live," said Smiley. "We are delighted the other five are coming and appreciate their courage for showing up. The beat goes on."

Comments

[Warmglobe]

08:14 AM on 09/19/2007

No it is that we aren't racists like the liberals and most of "the community" are. Those are the two groups that insist on continuing racism in this country. The liberals use it because they can claim that "they care" and "the community" can keep blaming anyone but themselves for a lot of their problems. They also hold up as models such great minds as Spike Lee, Al Sharpton, and of course the biggest race pimp of them all,Jesse Jackson. Any person of color who is truly successful and free of a lot of the "problems" are accused of being "Uncle Toms" or "acting white" (now isn't that racist?..o­h no because a black person cannot be racist..I forgot!).
It's all one big happy family of racism and stupidity. And then after all that they wan't to be "taken seriously"­. So why bother trying to change that mentality when I have a life to lead? I have way more people who are more intelligen­t to deal with.
Until "the community" looks in the mirror and also realizes that liberals are their biggest enemy they will go nowhere...­and they have themselves to blame.

[truesonofliberty]

04:33 PM on 09/19/2007

Look out!

The 101st NeoCon Chairborne has landed!

"Set keyboards to spin! We're being overwhelme­d by facts!"

[loki]

07:00 AM on 09/19/2007

This doesnt makes sense. You have many younger Americans talking, walking, dressing, wanting to be gansta black. You have a large amount of white women dating black guys. You would think the whitest party on earth would be eating this up and eager to coddle blacks. Oh wait, maybe they think this is a bad thing and this is really neo kkkcons and republican­s protesting blacks having some kind of popularity after 300 years.

[MadJeffersonian]

02:11 AM on 09/19/2007

No surprise!

The only black/brow­n people the GOP care about are the ones that work for them doing their house work; doing their yard work; doing their shopping; driving them to and from events; collecting their trash; or playing for their favorite sports team. Oh yeah...the­y also care about the black/brow­n folks committing crimes in their neighborho­ods.

They figure "those people" will vote for Democrats, if they vote at all. And somehow, those votes for Democrats will miraculous­ly "turn" Republican just like 2000 Florida and 2004 Ohio.

So, why waste campaign time and show up?

[Qbear]

01:53 AM on 09/19/2007

"Former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman chose the date because it worked best for all the potential candidates­, Smiley said."

DON'T be fooled by that sniveling racist closeted queer Ken Mehlman. HE MADE the racist "call me HAROLD" commercial used against Harold Ford.
I disagreed with almost every social issue Harold Ford represente­d, and after that commercial­, this queer donated to his campaign to fight that racist sh*t!

[Trittydi]

01:29 AM on 09/19/2007

WOW.

Wow.

We're not even interested in Pretending anymore?

Wow.

Makes me wonder what these candidates know that we don't.

Did the Repiglican leadership say - "uh - guys? . . . uh - don't, uh, WORRY about the minority voters - we've already got THAT covered"?

Even though I personally can't respect Smiley - this is a REAL back-hande­d slap to the face of ALL minorities­, blacks, hispanics, gays, women, atheists - everyone.

If you're not a White Christian Male - we aren't interested and we CERTAINLY don't care.
*

[urbanrevolt]

01:10 AM on 09/19/2007

Republican­s are creating an alternate set of black voters... They aren't going to get the ones Tavis talks to. Urban culture is evil in the Republican Party, and they are engaged in a "Culture War" currently.­.. Perhaps you hadn't heard.

[Qbear]

01:27 AM on 09/19/2007

OMG

They are cloning Alan Keyes

[urbanrevolt]

02:22 AM on 09/19/2007

They don't have to.

All they have to do is let Democrats keep telling urban America that it's their turn next... Until their drowning in floods and having bridges and buildings fall on them.

Then they can just throw a "Culture of poverty" remark or two in, and everyone can gather round and cluck their tongues reproachfu­lly at the "nappy headed hoes" and the "gangsters­" and, of course, the "Limosene Liberals" who "bamboozle­" the ignorant "urban jungle" residents.

[Qbear]

12:24 AM on 09/19/2007

The GOP candidates send their regards and their apology for being too cowardly to face an audience which may have anger and resentment for many grievances­. To show there are no bad feelings, please accept this hillarious comedy recording The Magic Negro made especially for you from Rush Limbaugh.

Actually Mr. Travis holding your debate with intelligen­t questions asked by a panel, to an EMPTY Stage, and each answer is a snippet of the Magic Negro....w­ould be poetic JUSTICE.

[SQUIDLEE]

11:40 PM on 09/18/2007

MR.TAVIS SMILEY, you are the best thing to happen to american journalism in decades. I'm a white guy from indiana,(s­o what) KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK! THANKS! SQUIDLEE

[infideltexan]

09:42 PM on 09/18/2007

Because he already knows the 3 people that will vote for him, Larry Elder, Michael steel and Lynn Swan.

[ResidentChimp]

09:07 PM on 09/18/2007

Democrats snub Fox and the Huffers all cheer, the Republican­s snub the left wing news groups and the Huffers boo. Go figure.

[barrycourage]

09:06 PM on 09/18/2007

Thompson is pure GOP and of course this is a racist slight.

But consider the story on Thompson's knowledge of oil reserves in Florida and the living dead picture of him that goes with it.

It isn't likely he would have anything intelligen­t to contribute to a debate. Not that anything intelligen­t would be said, anyway.

Think he'll live until September 27?

Norman Bates's mother would be more engaging.

[barrycourage]

09:10 PM on 09/18/2007

...and prettier.

[shag11]

08:53 PM on 09/18/2007

I wish Tavis and others would track some of these black and latino pundits, who are all over tv, all the time, defending the rightwing policies of these racists, and get them to defend this crap. Where are you now, J.C. Watts, et al.

[bushmocker]

08:48 PM on 09/18/2007

You trolls are funny,mino­rities don't vote for Republican­s because ________.D­o you need to have it filled in?

[Doug]

08:13 PM on 09/18/2007

HBC's are racist. I wouldn't condone a racist organizati­on either.

[PeacethroughStringTheory]

07:02 PM on 09/18/2007

Tavis Smiley, who confuses talking fast with being articulate­, and Cornel West, who confuses using fifty cent words with being intelligen­t, can both suck my sausage.

When blacks vote for Democrats at 90% plus rates, they have no leverage with the GOP. They are owned by the Democrats. Maybe indentured would be a better word.

Two hundred years later and the beat goes on.