Both candidates are great, but in debates people can really understand and distinguish if there are a differences between the two and make a decision. Personally, living here in Milwaukee, I would like to see Clinton and Obama at Marquette University in a debate.

Just because he refused to debate doesn't mean he doesn't have a solution to the issues that the country faces. As a matter of fact, they seem less likely, not more, to speak about issues in a speech rather than in a debate.

Obama has plenty to talk about in terms of solutions, but the media and the country in general have responded best to inspiration, so that's what he's giving them. If you want to know how the candidates are going to differ, a good place to start is to see where their votes have diverged in their respective senate careers: http://politicalmaelstrom.blogspot.com/2008/01/actual-differences-between-barack-and.html

sounds like billary is desperate....Obama has a busy schedule and he, unlike billary doesn't have name recognition, has to touch towns and states right now....If the american people didnt get enough debate leading up to the race, tell them to tune in to the debate in Austion Tx on Feb 19

Clinton,cool, calculating,and caustic. If the shoe was on the other foot, there is no way that CLINTON WOULD AGREE TO ANY DEBATES. This is a well-oiled machine.

How else do you think they managed to dodge IMPEACHMENT! These are not nice people.

There have been -18- debates to date. Is one more really going to offer any kind of massive revelations? No. Anyone who hasn't seen one can check out the issues on the candidate's websites. Hillary's negativity is a major turnoff.

In one sentence, she both tries to criticize Obama for not being specific, and then attacks specific portions of his plans. America isn't stupid, Hillary.

Why should Obama give her free air time? There have already been 18 debates.

This one is an interesting flip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/11/9435/13800/190/454427

Obama 08

Hillary is going to bring down Obama any way she can thru lies(which she is as good as Bill at)half truths,by any means she can. She needs to go away, back to New York where the people were dumb enough to elect her in the first place.

Ok - I like Hillary even less now. She wants to freeze foreclosures? How about being fiscally responsible for yourself? I am a far left leaning liberal, but I do think we should all live responsibly within our means. I would rather see more money go into our schools than stop foreclosures for people who have chosen to live risky lifestyles beyond their means. That seems like really bad politics.

Go Obama.

Ron - Great point! It may come as a shock to the Clintons, but America is NOT stupid!

Yes, indeed, we need another debate! In the words of Ernie Banks, let's have two a day! We get to see more of Wolf Blitzer asking numb questions like the ones he asks guests on his program. Tim Russert can try to ask Hillary predictable gotcha questions, only to find her snap at him and make him recoil. The networks can have their typical extravaganza quality sets that dazzle and make us forget about the debates. We need more questions asked the debaters who are told how to answer.

Let's face it, the Clintons want more debates because they are losing and know that the past debates have not been favorable to Obama. But in the words of Shakespeare, "be careful for what you wish for. You just might get it."

Hope all the MEDIA is happy now that their darling OBAMA is the front runner. Happy Valentine's Day? Great, because Americans are STILL suffering uselessly from...BAD HEALTH, NO HOMES, NO HIGHER STANDARDS OF LIFE...because of GREED in Corporations, Medical Industry, Insurance industry, Republicians nastiness and greed for OIL, and New World Order. Power hungry individuals that continue to pursue a deadly course of human genocide and segregation, and controlling all including THE MEDIA.
Remember folks we don't live forever, we all must face up to ALL our wrongs one day, we can only create change with an unselfish heart and with nothing to gain, but to create something far better for the younger ones of tomorrow...MY VOTE STILL GOES TO HILLARY, a mother, a nurturing person, a tough president, with solid answers and strong plans for this country that OBAMA just copies and call it his own. If we think so lowly of women, then why call the Earth "MOTHER EARTH" ? War is always been associated with Men, their helpless ego(s) and poor judgement of always been territorial by nature. Creation & protection of life has always been associated with Women, their nature instincts for human survival, like "MOther earth" nurturing life and all that comes with it. A woman's heart is different, and closely connected to the survival of all humans, hence all "woman's intuition" 6th sense as we all know it to be, remains absolutely right... If men continue with this saying "It's a Man's world" and continue to suppress his most beloved opposite sex, lets see a man give birth by himself... FED UP OF ALL MALE PRESIDENTS AND THEIR STUPIDITY...VOTE FOR A REAL CHANGE PEOPLE!

In answer to GW's comments, the debates have not been favorable to Obama because he is a cheerleader and not a man of substance. Hillary will run over him in a debate and he is better than her at cheering on the voters. Now who do I want to be president - HILLARY!!!

Hillary appears to be grasping at straws now. As others have pointed out, these topics have been debated ad nauseam already. Hillary is simply hoping to throw more distortions out during debates which are always difficult to counter in the alloted time. She has proven herself to be a scheming, ruthless individual who will do or say anything to get elected. She represents such a stark contrast to Barack Obama who exudes honesty and integrity.

Is she still in this race? Oh pleazzzzeeeee!!

Isn't everyone sick of this campaign already?

Obama is ahead ONLY because the media has allowed him to go unchecked on almost every point he makes in his speeches. He does poorly in debates and he knows it because he has no specific plans to carry out the promises in his soaring speeches. Hillary Clinton asking for a debate is not "grasping at straws", it is trying to do the work the media refuses to.. make Obama answer questions!

a loving spirit God gave to us
such a beautiful world he left in our thrust
we have misused,tried,died and abused, lied trick and disgraced our mother earth's face.
Yes! they have me wondering what the hell is happening.

Then along comes Obama and now we could a light at the end of the tunnel.

thank God for Obama.

You know, Al Gore and George Bush debated several times. John Kerry and George Bush debated several times. If debates, as currently constructed, were such a great tool for picking candidates, don't you suppose we would have been spared the last seven years?

And to folks like Ryan Healey who bemoan that Obama doesn't get into specifics--I challenge you to reject the spin of the Clinton camp and to listen to both candidates. Obama offers specifics within a larger thematic framework, but the specifics are there. There are actually many, many reasons Obama is ahead and will remain ahead.

Oh my Angel - you're not making a strong case for Hillary - wow. Strong mother..nurturing person? If anyone's copying ideas, it's Hillary. She suddenly started campaigning on "change" about 4-weeks ago...wonder why? Have you already forgotten the scandals that flare up everywhere the Clintons go? Enough...no more Clintons please.

Angel, you do know that Hillary Clinton voted for the Bush War, right? And that she did so without reading the full 100-page National Intelligence Estimate because she somehow trusted George Bush and his gang to do the right thing?

This would be the same war that Barack Obama spoke out against in 2002.

So yeah, that whole "women have better judgment and are naturally more nurturing than men" argument doesn't quite hold water where Mrs. Clinton is concerned.

Both of these people are highly intelligent individuals that could each prove to be a viable presidential candidate; but one is riding very high on charisma, inspiration and a groundswell of support based solely on these characteristics. I am a Clinton supporter and all I ask is that you encourage people to gather their own conclusions and make this decision based on what you personally believe to be true and possible. There is a high risk of voters getting swept along without understanding why. Hopefully Obama will step up and grant the Wisconsin voters the debate they (and the country) deserve. There may have been 18 debates already but how many of those were with just these two candidates on stage? JUST ONE. Why is Obama resisting? Because Clinton will mop the floor with him when it comes down to real debate and not cheering sports-fanlike crowds.

This is the true Hillary Clinton: Tracy Flick in "Election"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rleUPHX8yfM

It's that sense of entitlement and win-at-all-costs attitude - which is hilarious in a movie! (Unfortunately, this isn't a move.)

By refusing to debate, by (literally) penning in the journalists at his victory speech at his funder's hotel in Chicago, Sen. Obama is losing the goodwill of the adult wing of the Democratic party. Did he diss John Edwards the other day? A no show? You're kidding! If Edwards is to be the A.G. in the Obama administration--will he allow Edwards to do his job?
No matter where it leads? To one of his 'non-lobbyist' bundlers?
Yes, the baseline misogyny in this society is calling Hilary 'frigid' and 'Tracy Flick'--but the Obama kids are sounding ever more like the 3 year old with his fingers in his ears yelling "I'm not listening!"
Hold a debate!

Billary Hillary
quite dull all-ardy
Obama hama nama nana hana wins.

Here we go again with Billary negativism and negativity. The shamefull clintons will do and say anything to get attention. CAN'T THEY GET IT? THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF AMERICA Mr. OBAMA, has no time for no productive debates with loser Billary, Senator OBAMA as better to do, meeting voters listening to them and talking to them. Meeting parents, familly members and veterants of the unpopular Iraq war that Billary Clinton voted for to sand Americans DIE FOR A LIE.
It's clear, Billary Clinton in need of media coverage prefers runing non prodactive debates, runing away from people who are asking her questions about how cruel and cold hearted she is voting for a war to send Americans DIE FOR A LIE. Hillary is running away from families who have their sons, daughters, dads, moms deployed in Iraq, while senator Obama is meeting them and dealing with veterans and mutilated from the WAR SHE VOTED for.
I wonder if the Clintons know how does it feel to have a partent deployed in Iraq, praying every day that no army personel shows up at your door to bring you a bad news.

Hillary please get it once for all, go face those families whose members you sent to DIE FOR A LIE, what plan do you have for those IRAQ WAR veterans and thousands of familes who have lost their loved ones? rather than bieng in dire need of media coverage and going negative on OBAMA., tell us how do you feel about the toll of AMERICANS SOLDIERS WHOSE LIVES ARE BEING TAKEN BECAUSE OF WISEDOM AND POLITICAL CALCULATIONS ??????
Why Americans have to DIE FOR A LIE ? WHY ? WHY ? WHY? can you tell us Why Hillary ?ary

We've had a grand total of ONE (1) 1-on-1 debate between the two people in this neck-and-neck race. Avoiding debate at this moment in time -- "when the stakes are so high" as Barack says -- smacks of fear. If he is going to take McCain on, he shouldn't avoid debate within this divided party, he should welcome the opportunity to gain more experience, hone his skills and show us he can answer questions. That his instinct is to balk indicates a confidence deficit. This is the man who had to beat Alan Keyes to get into the U.S. Senate.

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/002857.php

Truely she is "cool, calculating,and caustic. If the shoe was on the other foot, there is no way that CLINTON WOULD AGREE TO ANY DEBATES. This is a well-oiled machine" As some one said.

Obama don't have to dance to her tune.

Go Go Obama

Nobody needs yet another cookie-cutter debate. We've had 22 - links to all the transcripts and videos are available through Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_presidential_debates%2C_2008

If people in Wisconsin want serious answers to serious questions, they'd do better to watch the video of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal's editorial board conducting interviews.

Here's Obama's:
http://video.ap.org/v/Legacy.aspx?partner=en-ap&t=m1202927630341&ns=WIMIL_Gallery&p=barack+obama&f=WIMIL&mk=en-ap&sf=&sd=

I assume Hillary 'Tracy Flick' Clinton can squeeze in some time before the primary? The sooner the better if she really wants Wisconsin voters to be informed.

Hillary (and Janstress of Milwaukee)seem to be way behind the curve in understanding the role of technology in people's lives. People do have television and access to worldwide broadcasting in places as far away from NY as Wisconsin. It doesn't matter where the debates are held. Again-message to Clintons- America isn't stupid.