If all agreed to be gentlemen in debates why should there by
defamation suits?
Why use defamation suits to intimidate people from debates the
fairest way to choose leaders and talents? Why should defamation
law be a higher hierarchy of needs and objectives than the need to
choose talents to govern the country.
Look at the debates going on between Kevin Rudd and John Howard or
the current ones going on between Obama and Clinton.
A good government can only be one chosen with the fullest scrutiny
by the people through debates (unless ruling party wants to hide
something like skeletons in the NKF cupboard) there is no reason to
stop the people from vigorous scrutiny of the government and ruling
party's doings and actions in all areas like the big shin corp
losses or Nicol Highway collapse due to lack of structural
checking.
Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, usually the home of the
University of South Carolina football team, is getting ready for
Oprah Winfrey and Sen. Barack Obama.
art.oprah.hp.jpg
Oprah Winfrey appears with Sen. Barack Obama and his wife,
Michelle, at a September fundraiser in California.
One of the goal posts already has been dismantled. The marquee
outside ordinarily flashes "Go Gamecocks," but this week it had
something different to promote: "Rally with Senator Barack Obama
and Oprah Winfrey," it reads. "Free and Open to the Public."
The talk-show host will hit the campaign trail this weekend with
the Democratic presidential candidate and his wife, Michelle,
making two stops Saturday in Iowa and then traveling to South
Carolina and New Hampshire on Sunday.
The appearances come a few weeks before the crucial January 3 Iowa
caucus.
This weekend will put the notion of celebrity endorsements to the
test. Winfrey raised nearly $3 million for the senator from
Illinois at a glitzy California fundraiser in September, but
whether she can bring new people into the political fold is a
different story.
"Oprah is not going to change people's minds on her own, but Oprah
makes Obama salient," said Winthrop University political scientist
Scott Huffmon, adding that the media attention will be the biggest
boon for Obama.
"If he pulls off an upset in Iowa, suddenly he is at the forefront
of everyone's mind and he has the momentum. And he can use it to
springboard him through in South Carolina."
Don't Miss
* Winfrey could help Obama draw women voters
* Election Center 2008
The events in Iowa also are valuable organizing and recruiting
tools for Obama. Tickets were first given to precinct captains, who
were told to take as many as they wanted and give them out,
according to CNN's Candy Crowley.
Then those who wanted tickets had to go to one of Obama's offices
and volunteer for four hours or attend a caucus-organizing seminar.
After those people, others seeking tickets needed to go to an
office and provide information.
The rally appears to be generating the most buzz in South Carolina,
where "overwhelming demand" for free tickets forced the campaign to
move the Sunday event from an 18,000-seat arena to the 80,000-seat
football stadium.
Inez Tenenbaum, who co-chairs Obama's campaign in South Carolina,
announced the move outside the candidate's Columbia headquarters
Thursday. People were camping out there to get free tickets, she
said.
"This event far exceeded our expectations," said Obama spokesman
Kevin Griffis, who said the campaign had to negotiate with the
University of South Carolina to get the stadium.
The campaign does not expect to fill the stadium -- that job is
usually left for football coach Steve Spurrier and his Gamecocks.
But privately, Obama aides said they have high expectations for the
event and are confident the rally will attract tens of the
thousands of supporters.
"It may be the biggest crowd for a political candidate in South
Carolina's history," Jack Bass, a College of Charleston professor,
told The State newspaper on Thursday.
But for all the hype, will those Winfrey and/or Obama fans be
registered voters? His campaign here, with an unprecedented
grass-roots organization, has toiled to translate the senator's
celebrity into voters by targeting potential supporters.
The event ticket has a "voter pledge," asking attendees for names,
addresses and phone numbers and also to check a box saying, "I
support Barack Obama and will vote for him in the S.C. Democratic
primary on January 26."
The campaign has distributed fliers with a similar pledge at events
throughout the state.
Like other Democratic hopefuls, Obama is spending more time in Iowa
and New Hampshire but remains a lesser-known quantity in South
Carolina than rival Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Some political observers said Winfrey's support could help Obama
draw female voters from front-runner Clinton.
"Hillary Clinton simply seems to be the women's candidate
regardless of race," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling
director.
"I think that's what Obama may really be trying to reach is women
-- not white women or black women or any particular race, just
women in general.
"Married women, women with children -- those are the ones who tend
to turn out and vote," Holland said. "Those are the ones that have
more at stake, so they're more willing and eager to go out and vote
in primaries and the general election. That tends to be the Oprah
audience."
Clinton's campaign said she is a big fan of Winfrey's and thinks
it's great for candidates to bring in surrogates but ultimately
voters will pick candidates based on their experiences, strengths,
records and abilities to do the job. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a
friend
CNN's Candy Crowley contributed to this report.