Racial Debate Politics

The leading Republicans have opted out of a debate on PBS later this that was to be held at a black college with a black moderator. Of course, that has led to thinly veiled charges of racism:

"Three of the four leading Republican presidential candidates turned down invitations to a PBS debate this month at a historically black college in Baltimore, leading moderator Tavis Smiley on Thursday to accuse them of ignoring minority voters," USA Today reports.

Sen. John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney "have declined to participate in the Sept. 27 debate at Morgan State University."

Said Smiley: "We're talking about one 90-minute conversation. It gives these Republicans a wonderful opportunity. They complain all the time that black and brown voters won't give them a chance. We offer a platform on PBS."

Of course, the notion that if they don't participate in this debate black and brown voters won't have an opportunity to hear the candidates is silly. I'm sure black and brown voters get all the same channels on their TV sets that I do and they're perfectly capable of tuning into any of the other GOP debates.

What I find interesting about this is that when Democrats all canceled out of a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, there was no such racial criticism. The CBC, though irritated, completely gave the Dems a pass all because their debate would have been broadcast on Fox News. Thus, dissing the CBC became politically correct.