Am I hearing correctly? Now McSame doesn't want to meet Obama

[babylonsister]

because the terms don't suit him? I'm so glad this is unfolding this way!


http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/06/13/mccain-rejects-obama-s-semi-stingy-joint-forum-offer.aspx

McCain Rejects Obama's Semi-Stingy Joint-Forum Offer

People who know my views on the subject will understand why I was happy to receive this e-mail from the Obama campaign:

Statement on McCain’s Refusal of Joint Appearances Offer

June 13, 2008

“Barack Obama offered to meet John McCain at five joint appearances between now and Election Day—the three traditional debates plus a joint town hall on the economy in July and an in-depth debate on foreign policy in August. That package of five engagements would have been the most of any Presidential campaign in the modern era—offering a broad range of formats—and representing a historic commitment to openness and transparency.

“It’s disappointing that Senator McCain and his campaign decided to decline this proposal. Apparently they would rather contrive a political issue than foster a genuine discussion about the future of our country.

“Senator Obama believes that the American people deserve an open and accessible debate as they choose between real change and four more years of failed Bush policies, and he welcomed McCain’s invitation to offer voters ‘the rare opportunity of witnessing candidates for the highest office in the land discuss civilly and extensively the great issues at stake in the election,’” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.

Did I mention I was happy about this?

Update: Uh, downgrade that from "semi-stingy" to "stingy." Ben Smith says the Obama people proposed doing the joint town-hall the weekend of July 4th--at which point there might actually be a larger TV audience in Canada than the United States.

--Noam Scheiber

[cliffordu]

1. K&R and LOL. Nice.

[rox63]

2. McSame wants them all to be "town-hall" format

because he supposedly sucks less at those than he does at debates and speeches.

[babylonsister]

4. I'm so glad it's now looking like McSame is a spoil sport. What will

happen with all that bluster? I just heard some clown on m$m 'challenging' Obama to those '10' town hall meetings. I guess he didn't get the message. :D

[Youphemism]

7. He's probably also hoping to rig the questions.

He comes from the party of Nixonian ratfuckers.

[Cheap_Trick]

9. McCain shouldn't sell himself short

he's a tremendous slouch. He sucks at them all equally....

[YOY]

19. and he can stack the audience with FReeps

The Pugs are good at filtering "unwanted types" out of audiences.

[AllentownJake]

3. Why agree to a format

that is the only one your opponent can function in?

Nope we'll do one of yours early in the cycle and we'll do it my way the rest of the time.

McCain is behind. The universal thing to do when your behind is to call for debates in the hope you can score points.

[babylonsister]

6. I don't want Obama to do any of them, but this is a crafty compromise. nt

[anonymous171]

5. The townhalls are traps anyway. McCain packs them with repugs and calls them "bipartisan" events.

[babylonsister]

12. I read that; somehow it doesn't surprise me. Even Faux fessed up. nt

[blondeatlast]

8. Beating them at their own game and putting McSame on the defensive.

I am LOVING this!

[babylonsister]

11. That's exactly what they're doing! Props again to Obama! nt

[QueenOfCalifornia]

10. Since when is

McStinky the guy who decides how the debates will be set up?

I watched that pathetic speech McCain gave where he proposed all of the bullshit about town halls and then he thought it would be a swell idea if they flew on the same jet 'cause it would save gas.

Since when is McCain the travel agent for the DNC or Obama?

[blondeatlast]

17. This is a guy who, up until now, could say anything stupid (and has)

and still walk to a campaign victory. I've lived in AZ since I could first vote and he's always been my senator.

His pathetic campaign in 2000 was an indicator of that--look how he "defended" the smears on his wife and family.

The Democrats and Obama campaign have been able to identify McSame's many weaknesses and successfully exploit them. He's never faced a full-on, much less really agressive, challenge before.

Of course we need to play him like we're 10 points behind in the polls, but McCain seems to be playing like he's 10 points ahead. That's how it's always been for him and apparently his campaign can't adapt.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

20. We have

Feinstein. Who I will never vote for again.

But McCain is worse than our corporate whore.

[BklynChick]

13. wonder if they hand delivered this notification too, or perhaps they finally figured out email.

:P

[Blue_Roses]

14. okay, I see but

what was McCain doing with the Fox townhall setting this week? I'm confused as to why he said he wished Obama would have been there:wtf:

with the spin machine spinning so fast, I'm gettin' dizzy:crazy:

[babylonsister]

15. Those are his preferred settings which is why he was trying to lure

Obama in. I guess he thinks he does better in them vs. speeches. He told Faux that rethugs, indies, and Dems were invited when in fact no Dems were. He lied, and he'd possibly do likewise had Obama taken him up on the town halls.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

18. He did this

last week.

McCain was in New Orleans and all of a sudden, out of nowhere he issues an appeal to Obama... He says something like "I would like to propose that we travel to different cities throughout the US and have small town hall meetings with 250 to 300 people and discuss the issues." Then he added "We could even fly together! It would save on fuel" or something McLame like that.

he tossed out a schedule for Obama to follow.

On another thread we thought it would be great if they did all these town hall meet ups in places like Compton, 9th Ward Louisiana - South Chicago - Places where McCain would get a happy welcome!

[frogcycle]

16. i watched part of a mclame "townhall" last night

it was comical

some brown-skinned guy in a suit with wife and daughter beside him was handed the mike -

he introduced himself with a mini bio about being hispanic, then gushed a little about how he had been a fan of mclame since the 1800s or something - then asked what mclames "standards of character" would be for SC justice appointments


mclame went on for a bit about needing the hispanic vote, glad to have you aboard, etc., then just stopped... paused for a beat... and said 'can you give me a little more background about yourself so I can answer your question in the proper context?" and handed the mike back...

the guy didn't miss a beat at this rather bizarre request...

said a few words about who he was, and then carefully, slooowly, repeated the question verbatim.

mclame grabbed the mike and said 'thank you, that helps me to frame your question" and answered, of course with no reference in any way to the "context' of the guy being an hispanic businessman.

it was SOOOOO freaking obvious that the guy and the question were planted, AND that there was a pre-rehearsed drill for if johnny had a freaking senior moment and blanked

This forum could be great - IF the audience is not 'packed' with shills

He could absolutely crash and burn - again.

[NoFederales]

21. K&R; McCain's such a doofus............ nt

NoFederales

[depakid]

22. Given the last several fiascos, the campaign would be wise to make damn sure the corporate media

doesn't set the agenda.

In fact, if they could keep the likes of Russert, Gibson and Stephanopolous out entirely- that would benefit not just the campaign, but every American who watches.

[Vinca]

23. Screw the old coot. nt