Four empty podiums
One of the empty podiums on stage Thursday night in Baltimore.
BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) - There were ten podiums on the stage, but only six candidates showed up.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, all said they had scheduling conflicts and skipped Thursday night's PBS All American Presidential Forum on minority issues. The Republican candidates who participated in the debate blasted their rivals for their absence.
"Frankly, I'm embarrassed," former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said. "I'm embarrassed for our party and I'm embarrassed for those who did not come, because there's long been a divide in this country, and it doesn't get better when we don't show up."
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, said it hurts the Republican Party when candidates choose not to participate in debates.
"I want to say just at the outset, I apologize for the candidates that aren't here," Brownback said. "I think this is a disgrace that they're not here."
But moderator Tom Joyner made jokes, at their expense.
"And let me take a moment right here and now to say hello to those of you viewing from home," Joyner said. "Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Senator John McCain. Governor Mitt Romney. And Senator Fred Thompson. Well, you know, I had to call them out."
Related: Not up for debate
Related: Commentary: Why is the GOP scared of black voters?
- CNN Associate Producer Lauren Kornreich
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Surprise, surprise! Republicans are out campaigning to their base for primary elections.., just like the Democrats. I guess CNN will be just as disappointed when the Democrats don't show up at Bob Jones University??
Your liberal bias is showing again CNN..
I’m sure one of these four who skipped this debate will be the GOP nomination. It will be interesting to see how they will appeal the minority voters in the general election, now with this record of skipping this black issue debate and Spanish issue debate. And just a note, I’m disappointed at John McCain. I was not expecting this from him.
Such cowards!!! If they didn't want to show up they should just say I don't want to participate instead of making up the tired excuse of scheduling conflicts.
When are the Democrats and Republicans going to realize that you have to play on the other teams turf every now and then.
All I can say is, at least the Democrats siad they would not particiapte in the Fox debate because they didn't like the station. Fot all the "strength" Rudy is believed to have b/c of 9/11, he doesn't have the guts to just say "I don't want to participate in this debate."
This pic should be used by the Democrat nominee as one of many reasons why they deserve the african-american vote, and republicans don't. Simply stated, Dems. care about the african-american population, and Repubs. don't.
Who cares the minority votes is always going to vote for Democrats, it seems they are almost brainwashed that they can only vote Democratic. Not a big deal, the black vote refuses to give Republicans a chance so why should they waste their time. I say no big deal the black vote will vote for a slimeball democrat if they go there or they dont go there......
Pompous toad! I wouldn't give you a plugged nickel to run for dog catcher! Go work for another lobbyist to help continue squeezing the money out of the poor and middle classes while you hypocritically flaunt your so-called "values." You and the rest of your elitist reactionary ilk are a pox upon our nation....
Shoulda been called "The Scary Debate".
I was very dissapointed with candidates not showing up...I sent the You-tube message for the Republican debate to ask the question on why they did not attend the PBS All American Presidential Forum on minority issues.I really want to know why and so do many others.
I heard that out of 375 people that were in the audience only 25 showed up. A few photographers called in sick as well.
Ron Paul, question after question, consistently received the loudest applause of any candidate and he gets NO mention in this write-up? LOOOOOOL
Black people will vote for people that consitantly show up and APPEAL to them. The republicans DO NOT appeal to black voters. They have nothing to offer the black community AND once they get into office they consistantly ignore the entire race.
Repubs have messed up with black people, and now they are playing tug of war with hispanics. I hope blacks and hispanics for a voting block, there would be not more "scheduling conflicts"
Posted By bukky, Baltimore, MD : September 28, 2007 9:38 am
BUKKY,,
WHat a name????Anyway you just dont get it, it has nothing to do with the Republicans it has to do with BLACK VOTERS that either dont get they are getting taken advantage of by Democrats or they simply dont care and do whatever their pathetic leaders tell them to do(Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson). The Black vote is not educated about the issues that face them and simply do not care who is up for election they are going to vote Democrat. This has gone on for the last 50yrs and I am sure the Democrats will try to trick the Black Vote for the next 50yrs.
Who cares the minority votes is always going to vote for Democrats? Wow, that is simply one of the major reasons why republican candidates should reach out more proactively!
Ryan, who cares the minority votes are always going to vote for Democrats? Wow, that is simply one of the major reasons why republican candidates should reach out more proactively!
TX
The moderator's name is Tavis Smiley not Tom Joyner, but then again I guess we all look the same to white people.
The most important issues in 2008 are not confined to "special interest" groups but are _American_ issues. Pandering by candidates to such groups, especially when the groups will overwhelmingly oppose the candidates and the "debate" will have a marginal audience, is not a good thing.
This is a primary, not a debate. These people are mainly speaking to their REGISTERED PARTY MEMBERS. The room wasn't even full there are so few registered minority Republicans. Scheduling conflicts means "I had something else come up that was more important" which is entirely true. Who cares which was offerred to them first, if they had something better to do they ought to do it.
Minority issues are issues for Congress, not the President.
I am betting that Fred Thompson won't show up for any debates. He won't be able to hold his own, and he knows it – and he is in the top four without doing anything other than get into the race.
Democracy shouldn't be about the 51% imposing their will on the 49%. I learned in school that the United States is a representative democracy. So even if candidates don't think they are going to get a single vote from a large constituency, does that mean it's okay to ignore them? The "You Didn't Vote for Me so Screw You" attitude – how can we preach democracy and compromise to Iraq as we inch ever closer to a winner take all political process.
Compromise, compromise, compromise. It's the only way to survive a marriage and the only effective way to run a government.
Men and women who manage to maintain their marriages – they understand that compromise doesn't mean you compromise your own values. I am not encouraged to vote for people who don't have what it takes to stay married. Do they think running the United States is going to be any easier?
If candidates don't take the time to listen to people they don't agree with, then it's pretty clear that they have no intention of trying to work together to find common ground.
Why can't we put the candidates on an island, film them and then let the nation vote them off one at a time? Would be cheaper, a lot more entertaining, and over in 39 days!
The "frontrunners" from the Republican Party were nothing more than an embarrassment last night on our great nation. They all sited "scheduling conflicts" for missing the debate. Yeah right, who has scheduling conflicts a year in advance? Please.
Matt Lauer said it best this morning on the Today Show. Any of these guys, Rudy, Mitt, Thompson or McCain could have stolen the spotlight if they had unexpectedly shown up at the debate and said all Americans are more important than any campaign fundraisers. Can you imagine the headlines it would have created? That was a huge missed opportunity.
Instead, we get public responses from someone like Rudy saying that this is the end of the third quarter fundraisers as the reason to miss the debate. It shows you where the priorities are.
I commend Ron Paul and the other candidates for fulfilling their responsibilities to represent the interests of all Americans fairly. If Republicans were smart, they would elect Ron Paul as their candidate. He is a true constitutionalist and the only Republican I would consider in a general election. We'll see.
What ever happened to the liberal republicans? They must've had scheduling conflicts every four years.
All Americans have the same rights – protected by the Constitution.
Minorities have the same rights as the majority.
That's all that need to be said.
There's no need for a 'debate' about such.
James
Ryan From Indianapolis
Your comment is more of a ruling on what kind of a party the Republican party is. If all kinds of minorities will vote for one particular party, the other one must be racist and not worry about issues important to minorities.
By your argument, I would say who cares about religious voters because they have been brainwashed to vote for the Republican party, even though the Republican party does nothing to further their lives. The Republicans are all talk and no action when it comes to religious issues and yet all religious voters go for them.
I COULD claim that was a good reason to not care about those voters but see that is the difference between a Republican and a Democrat. We believe in inclusiveness while you are OK with shutting out groups of people in this country.
to ronnie – knoxville, tn:
YES, THEY DID. THEY SAID, "THEY DID NOT WANT TO APPEAR ON "FIXED NEWS" Channel.
The sad issue here is this party gave minorities their rights. DEMs did not want to do it because they they wanted to keep the south. They have lost the south and GOP has lost the blacks?
This is ironic.
I watched the debate last night – the entire thing! Yaaawn. I wished the other candidates had shown but 14 months from now when everyone is voting for the next President – who showed up and how didnt at THIS one debate will not make any difference.
Yes – I believe it is important for Republicans to reach out and bridge the gap where "perceived" gaps exist. But in ALL honesty – what did the no-shows REALLY risk? Losing the African American vote in the upcoming election?? Would showing up at Travis Smiley's Debate suddenly convert the 90%+ (democratic voting African American) to vote Republican?
The more annoying part of the evening watching the debate were the 50 supporters of Ron Paul that pursued their "planned over-enthusiasm". Ron Paul said how we have no reason to help stop genocide in Darfur – and his supporters scream wildly.
PUHlease!
I feel this is unaccpetable and disgusting, I am so ashame.
Have Republicans ever cared about minorities? Come on...get real!