I understand the Obama campaign's decision to refuse more media-driven debates before the North Carolina primaries. The last one was an unenlightening debacle, and a distraction from the issues of the race. But now the Clinton campaign is challenging Obama to unmediated, Lincoln-Douglas style debates. I'd certainly watch. And though it's easy to forget, Obama and Clinton actually look great when talking about real issues in a serious way. If both campaigns actually decided to run out the rest of the primaries in serious, respectful debates, I'd feel a lot more sanguine about the race's impact on the Democratic Party. I doubt there's anywhere near the level of trust between the two camps necessary to make this happen, but a wonk can dream. Text of the Clinton challenge follows below the fold.
