Quinn Is Chided for Missing Forum Anthony D. Weiner next to an empty seat reserved for Christine C. Quinn at a mayoral forum. On stage at a mayoral forum in Harlem on Tuesday, the moderator strode along a line of cushy Ultrasuede chairs, stopping at each with a pointed question: What percentage of government contracts should be reserved for businesses owned by members of minority groups and women? "What's that, Ms. Quinn?" asked the moderator, Cornell Belcher, cocking an ear toward the chair reserved for Christine C. Quinn, speaker of the City Council. Fifty percent? The crowd cackled; Mr. Belcher was speaking to an empty chair. Only Ms. Quinn's name, printed and taped to the back of the seat, represented her at the forum, which was hosted by the New York Real Estate Chamber. In fact, an empty seat in place of Ms. Quinn has become common at the candidate forums that have cropped up with increasing frequency as the race gets down to the wire. Ms. Quinn is known for a brash style that can often abrade, and her sidestepping of intimate settings like those at forums can be strategic, political analysts say. A way to avoid foot-in-the-mouth moments altogether, the thinking goes, is not to put a foot in the door in the first place. "It's a cost-benefit analysis," said Christina Greer, an assistant professor of political science at Fordham University. Her strategy has been to avoid these forums because in these types of settings she doesn't do well and voters are not connecting with her. Mike Morey, a spokesman for Ms. Quinn's campaign, said the speaker had attended 60 debates and forums since January, and had been invited to over 100. "As the campaign moves in the home stretch, it's going to be more and more difficult to accommodate the overwhelming number of requests that come in," he said. The absences can resonate. Last week, the sight of her empty seat among a slew of candidates at a Manhattan forum drew cries of "Where is she?" from the audience. In May, Ms. Quinn angered educators when she did not attend a parent-focused forum in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. In Harlem on Tuesday, that empty chair became something of a public pillory. Anthony D. Weiner, one of her opponents, took aim at Ms. Quinn, who has been criticized for changing her mind on issues like term limits and paid sick leave. "When the chair says something," Mr. Weiner said, "you can believe it." While few have racked up as many absences as Ms. Quinn, contenders in the mayoral race and other local races frequently skip forums. At a forum for local candidates in a room adjacent to the mayoral forum, for example, only two candidates for Queens borough president showed up. "We will not forget that," Manuel Burgos, the moderator, told the audience.