Sound Bites and Spin Not Fit for Heartland Forum |
|
Unique Format Allows for Real Face to Face Conversation with Candidates and VotersFor Immediate Release: September 13, 2007 (Washington, DC) In what is likely the final major candidate forum before the first vote is cast in the 2008 primaries, a national coalition of community organizations will host a unique one-on-one dialogue with candidates from both major parties in Des Moines, Iowa on December 1, 2007. The Heartland Presidential Forum will bring the stories of real people dealing with social and economic problems face to face with both Democratic and Republican candidates in a living room style setting. Each candidate will take to the hot seat individually, allowing for a real flow of conversation between the candidate and voters on stage and avoiding the opportunity for candidates to simply repeat or contest what other candidates are saying. "The one-on-one nature of this dialogue with voters sharing their stories will bring a realness to the campaign, unlike the televised debates of late that offer more spin than substance," says Deepak Bhargava, executive director, Center for Community Change, one of the organizers of the forum. "Candidates that participate can expect to be thrown off message. When you're looking into the eyes of a mother whose child has just died because she couldn't afford the medicine for treatment, prepared remarks just won't cut it." Five thousand people will surround an intimate living room like stage setting, where a few dozen citizens will await the candidate's entrance on stage for a real conversation about a critical social issue that impacts us all. Personal stories will be shared and another person will follow up the personal story with a related question. No candidate will interact with another candidate on stage. The intimate dialogue format was tested during the 2004 Democratic primary in Columbia, South Carolina in which six of the seven democratic presidential candidates attended the "People's Agenda for Economic Justice Dialogue with America's Families". Nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Tom Joyner, moderated the dialogue along with David Stanton, chief anchor of the NBC affiliate WIS-TV. The dialogue format in South Carolina received rave reviews from both the candidates and media alike and has second time presidential candidate John Edwards intrigued at the opportunity to participate in the upcoming Heartland Forum in Iowa. ### |
|
