I'm not so sure there will be debates. I don't see what incentive Obama would have to accept a debate challenge, given his likely huge lead, and given Keyes's formidable debating reputation.
Obama might agree to a couple of very tightly formatted debates, with no direct candidate-to-candidate exchanges -- close to alternating press conferences, really -- just enough so that charges of ducking debates won't stick.
My early prediction: Obama 62, Keyes 38. Which, come to think of it, would be Keyes's best showing ever, wouldn't it?
Possibly, but if he thinks he can hold his own and is ambitous enough, he may think this would buttress his resume for a possible White House run in '08. Hey...It's happened before...but the loser in the Senate race is the one who ultimately was selected for President.
My thought exacty. Sure, Obama might lose a couple percentage points by not debating, but he wouldn't have to worry about looking like a fool in front of Keyes.
I don't think Obama can duck debates. He's already on the record. Check out this letter from Obama to previous candidate Jack Ryan, where he proposes a series of Lincoln-Douglas debates.
June 13, 2004
Mr. Jack Ryan
Dear Jack:
A century and a half ago, two Senate candidates from Illinois set an admirable standard for campaigning with a series of debates that captivated the attention of the entire nation.
While America today may not be facing the kind of fundamental issues that dominated the Lincoln-Douglas debates, we do face many great challenges, and how we meet them will define our future.
To do these issues justice, we owe the people of Illinois more than glib TV ads and rehearsed sound-bites. We owe them a serious, thoughtful discussion about where we would lead as their United States Senator.
That is why I am proposing a series of six debates across our state, including four outside the Chicago media market, so that voters throughout Illinois will have the chance to see and hear us offer our competing ideas and visions for the future.