Black political observers Tuesday questioned whether there will be enough Democratic presidential candidates left to participate in a fall debate sponsored by Fox News and the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute.

Democratic candidates -- and more importantly, the frontrunners -- are jumping ship fast.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) said they will not participate in the debate, which follows former senator John Edwards, who announced last week that he was also pulling out.

Peter C. Groff, a Colorado state senator, publisher of Blackpolicy.org and executive director of the Center for African-American Policy at the University of Denver, said Obama turning his back on an event sponsored by black legislators is troubling.

"It doesn't send a promising signal when the most powerful black caucus in U.S. history finds the most viable black presidential candidate in U.S. history withdrawing from a debate they organized," told BlackAmericaWeb.com Tuesday.

"That is highly problematic for the CBC," said Groff.

"On the other hand," he added, "Obama may be thinking that since many CBC members have not openly supported or endorsed him, he doesn't owe them anything as of yet. Still, Obama's presence would be expected at a CBC debate. It's bad enough they're drawing much heat from the left for partnering with Fox; it looks worse when their most popular member decides to not even show up."

Obama and Clinton aides said they intended to participate in six debates sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee. The DNC's list did not include the Fox News-CBC Institute debate, a concession to liberal and black activists who say Fox has slighted blacks and is biased in favor of conservatives.

"Fox has a long history of treating black people unfairly. They are not a trusted news source for most black Americans," Benjamin Todd Jealous, former executive director of the National Newspaper Publishers Associations, said in a statement.

But Candice Tolliver, a spokeswoman for the CBC Political Education and Leadership Institute, said the Sept. 23 presidential candidates' debate at the Fox Theater in Detroit is still scheduled to take place as planned, even without the three Democratic frontrunners.

"We’re still planning to move forward," Tolliver told BlackAmericaWeb.com. "But we’ll see what happens."

When asked why the Congressional Black Caucus decided to partner with Fox News, knowing the perception that Fox is known to denigrate black Americans, Tolliver said it was about numbers.

"We asked ourselves, 'how can we reach the greatest possible audience?' And we determined that Fox reaches more than 85 million voters," Tolliver said.

Craig Kirby, a Democratic political strategist, said the debate may be doomed, whether it’s cancelled or is presented as scheduled.

"If these three top-tier candidates are pulling out, then why would other candidates want to participate?" Kirby told BlackAmericaWeb.com Tuesday. "Next thing you know, the only candidate left will be Dennis Kucinich [, the congressman from Ohio]."

"I feel disappointed that Senator Obama is skipping a debate in which a large audience will consist of African-Americans," Kirby said. "But I feel an even greater disappointment that Fox News does not have the numbers in its production and editorial staff that would have the knowledge to correct the many wrongs by Fox."

Richard Prince, who writes Journal-isms, an online column for The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, told BlackAmericaWeb.com the CBC has an image problem.

"The Congressional Black Caucus, which must always be alert to any perception that it is out of touch with its constituents, hasn't done a good enough job of stating its case for partnering with Fox," Prince said.

Meanwhile, ColorOfChange.org, a coalition of black online activists opposing the caucus' partnership with Fox because of its right-wing tilt and use of disparaging language to depict black Americans, is urging other presidential candidates to follow the lead of Edwards, Obama and Clinton.

"Fox News has consistently attacked black people, black leaders and black cultural institutions," according to ColorOfChange.org. "Despite this, the Congressional Black Caucus Institute has announced that it will partner with Fox to co-host presidential debates."

Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama, told BlackAmericaWeb.com that Obama will instead will appear on another network.

"CNN seemed to be a more appropriate venue," Burton said.

Following September's Democratic debate, the second of the two Fox-CBC debates will be among Republican candidates and will take place in the fall of 2007 at a location to be determined.

Tolliver said the CBC would identify diverse commentators for the debates and monitor questions to make sure the questions are fair and reflect what’s on the minds of black Americans.

Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in a statement: "I am pleased that Fox News will broadcast two CBC Institute debates and especially honored that the institute will host a debate in Detroit."

"America needs strong leadership," Kilpatrick said. "We must educate and empower voters to select a candidate who will improve healthcare, create jobs and invest in education. These debates will help the public examine issues critical to our future and choose the candidate they believe will best serve as president."

Groff said the issue of the debate is part of a broader discussion.

"First, the fact that the Congressional Black Caucus did not facilitate this debate through either BET or TV One begs the question of a lack of a solid black national media outlet," Groff said. "I think that's an important question in need of serious examination."

"Second, the departure of Obama and Edwards from the debate definitely presents an opportunity for the second tier or less visible candidates like Richardson, Dodd and Biden," he added.

Online activists are mobilizing to pressure the Congressional Black Caucus and the institute against entering into an agreement with Fox News.

"They can expect a massive grassroots backlash," said ColorOfChange.org's James Rucker.

Rucker noted that Fox News President Roger Ailes recently joked about the similarity of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's name to al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Rucker and other Fox critics complain that network commentators have been racially provocative when discussing topics involving blacks, including Obama's candidacy.

Ailes told a Radio & Television News Directors Association Foundation event in Washington: "It is true that Barack Obama is on the move. I don't know if it's true that President Bush called (Pakistan President Gen. Pervez) Musharraf and said, 'Why can't we catch this guy?'"

Some thought Ailes’ comments were funny, but many black folks are not laughing.

"The Congressional Black Caucus is letting us down at a time when black Americans need strong and strategic leaders more than ever," according to ColorOfChange.org. "We are beginning a campaign to make it clear to key CBC leaders, and the voters in their districts, that the majority of us are not with them."

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Associated Press contributed to this story.