Top GOP contenders skipping African-American forum

By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff

The decision by four top Republican presidential candidates to skip a long-planned forum next week on African-American issues has renewed a debate over whether some contenders are writing off many black voters, with some analysts suggesting the move could hurt the party's chances in 2008.

Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson have said they have fund-raising or other scheduling conflicts and will not attend the nationally televised forum in Baltimore on Sept. 27. But even some leading Republicans questioned whether the candidates are interested in addressing issues of special concern to African-Americans.

"I think it is a terrible mistake," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said in a telephone interview. "I did everything I could to convince them it was the right thing to do."

Radio talk show host Tavis Smiley, who is moderating the debate at historically black Morgan State University for the Public Broadcasting System, said in a telephone interview that he found it troubling that scheduling conflicts were given as the reason for not attending. He noted that the date for the forum was arranged in consultation with GOP officials and announced in February.

"No person, black, white or brown, Democrat or Republican, male or female, no person should be elected president in 2008 without speaking to communities of color," Smiley said.