Obama tells Fox that Rev. Wright controversy raised a 'legitimate issue'

[EV_Ares]

Hillary Rodham Clinton is pushing for another Democratic presidential debate before the May 6 primaries in North Carolina and Indiana, but Barack Obama repeated on Fox News Sunday this morning that he's not going to do it.

"I'm not ducking. We've had 21 (debates), and so what we've said is, with two weeks, two big states, we want to make sure we're talking to as many folks possible on the ground taking questions from voters," Obama said during the pre-recorded interview with Chris Wallace, according to Fox.

As we noted Thursday, Obama's appearance means Wallace could stop his "Obama Watch" clock at just over two years. It marked the length of time since Obama had told the host that he'd come on the show.

We've updated with more from the interview as it was broadcast. (The show is due to be re-broadcast on Fox News Channel today at 2 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET.)

Update at 9:45 a.m. ET. Last question:

What has he learned about himself over the course of the campaign?

"I've learned that I have what I believe is the right temperament for the presidency," said Obama. "I don't get too high ... and I don't get too low" as the campaign goes on.


Read rest of interview @ link below:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/04/obama-tells-fox.html

[Deja Q]

1. Obama is right.

21 debates already, many of them covering the same old topics, I'm not sure there's a point to having another at this time.

[oberliner]

3. But this would be just the two of them and no moderator

None of the 21 debates have been anything like that.

Could be good for both candidates, as well as the American people, to have a one-on-one exchange without the intervening idiocy of the moderators and their nonsense.

[Iceburg]

4. Only 4 between BO and HC; Lincoln-Douglas had 7 in the state of Illinois for a Senate seat.

Surely candidates in a presidential nomination demand more scrutiny.

2ndly, no topics were covered in-depth in the previous BO/HC debates -- debates were 90 minutes long covering numermous topics in a most superficial manner. By contrast the Lincoln-Douglas debates were 3 hours each in duration and focused on fewer topics.

Obamas reluctance to participate in anything but superficial forms of display, underscore his lack of knowledge and extreme lack of confidence -- two traits we do not want to see (again) in a president.

[GarbagemanLB]

5. The trait I care most about is honesty-something Clinton severely lacks.

[Iceburg]

6. I take that as an admission that Obama lacks both knowledge and confidence

Apparently there are a lot of people out there who do not agree with your assessment of Obama.

[stillcool]

8. Apparently there are a lot of people...

who do agree with the poster's assessment

[stillcool]

7. "Superficial forms of display"

You mean his town hall meetings which are not televised..where he answers the questions voters want to ask him? Funny how some candidates choose to run their campaigns through the media, while others campaign on the ground.

[LakeSamish706]

2. I am so Happy that he is not going to debate her again... Hope he just ignores her...

and gets on with McCain as though she has dropped out (like she should).

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

9. Yep, Hill needs to buy her own air time if she want to get on TV.

The call for more debates always comes from the loser trying to make up ground, usually with gotcha BS. After 21 debates it's all been said before.

[4themind]

10. Anyone think this hurts the push to get the ads of the air in NC?=nt

By them saying he himself said it was a "legitamate issue". Just wondering how this will be interpreted