DO IT!!! Take John on in townhall meetings....Fuck him!!! DO IT!!!!

[NYC_SKP]

Three debates aren't enough, I'd love to see a few townhalls with the two of them.

:patriot:

[Eric J in MN]

1. There will be 3 debates between Obama and McCain

...plus one between Biden and Palin.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Yes, but will they be debates or carefully controlled Q and A sessions?

I'd like to see some exchanges with time to respond, not a too carefully orchestrated chat with pre-approved questions and topics.

[AndyTiedye]

11. "Townhall Meetings" Would be Carefully Orchestrated

They'd pack the audience with their supporters and tell them what questions to ask.
It would be a set-up just like that church thing.

[NYC_SKP]

15. I say call his bluff, John would back out of it.... nt

[AndyTiedye]

33. Hostile Audience, Hostile "Moderator" Who Lets McAin'ts People Chose the Questions

Obama walked into an ambush at that church thing earlier this year.
It was clear that McCain had gotten the questions ahead of time.
A "town hall" would be just like that.

[tblue]

2. Yeah. McLiar should be careful what he asks for.

Obama can kick his butt just by showing up.

[NYC_SKP]

24. Thanks, we seem to be in the minority on this one....

Go figure...

[babylonsister]

3. Nah. I think McBush wants the practice; why should he get it? The

first debate is next week; that I'm looking forward to.

[NYC_SKP]

9. I hope next week's debate allows for follow ups and responses....

If it's just the candidates taking turns responding to pre-approved questions and topics, then it's not really a debate and I'd like to see them challenge one another.

[babylonsister]

10. The second 'debate' will be in a townhall style iirc; next week, I'm

not sure of the exact format. Similar to Kerry/* I would imagine.

[NYC_SKP]

16. If Obama called his bluff, I doubt John would meet him....

I think that would make us look stronger and show John up for the weasel that he is.

No way does John really want to go mano-a-mano with Obama.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Nah--Obama's on his way up, McLoser's headed back down--we don't

need another Saddleback-style stacked deck.

[ErinBerin84]

5. did anyone see Colbert ripping on this last night?

He said that going by that logic, since McCain wouldn't appear on the Colbert Report, he was going to recite some lies about him...one of the lies was that McCain was "running a truthful campaign of straight talk", haha.

[budkin]

7. McCain wants it to be his supporters only

No way Obama is going to walk into that.

[kentuck]

8. I guess he forgot what happened the last time he dared him to go overseas?

And 200,000 people cheered him in Germany? Be careful what you wish for McCain...

[NYC_SKP]

18. John McCain wouldn't show up if Obama said, "OK, lets get it on!"

I don't think it will ever happen, but I'd like to see what would happen if Obama says, "OK, let's do it."

[Drunken Irishman]

29. Of course he would!

Why do you think McCain has been pushing these town halls lately? It's because his numbers are tanking and he knows the only hope he has is through these town halls.

[cliffordu]

12. NO - All it does is legitimize the little shit. Forget him, he just needs the

publicity and makes Obama look like he's being led.


McCain HAS to get the free air time as he is basically incapable of keeping up with ad money....


That being said, I'd bet McCain would never want another after the first one.....


He might not want to do a second debate.

[NYC_SKP]

13. Wouldn't you love to see a smack-down, though?

Maybe the debates will deliver, but not if their too pre-scripted.

[NYC_SKP]

14. Call his bluff......John would weasel his way out of it anyway.

And Obama would look strong.

[polichick]

17. Capitulation = Victory in the eyes of right-wing thugs.

[NYC_SKP]

19. John wouldn't show up, he'd look the fool if Obama agreed to TH mtgs. nt

[polichick]

20. Doesn't matter, you give them a victory just by caving. That's how they think.

[maxsolomon]

21. Lakoff rule #1:

DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THEIR FRAME. YOU CANNOT WIN PLAYING THE GAME THEY INVENTED.

Obama is framing this campaign & making McCain respond to him. The MSM is doing their darndest to help McCain force Obama back into the GOP's BS culture war frame. Obama is too smart to play their game. But he goes onto enemy territory (Rick Warren, O'Reilly) to show them he's not afraid & put the GOP on defense.

[Cha]

22. There had to be a very good reason why

Obama said no..and now..well, whiny old cheezeball, extortionists don't get their way.

[NYC_SKP]

23. I understand the strategy of not dignifying the challenge with a response, of

not letting John define the race, but I don't think there's any way in hell that John would agree to a meeting if Obama called his bluff.

I think that it could only help to see McCain make excuses and not live up to his bullshit.

[DainBramaged]

25. I will not fuck him, no way, no how

[ContinentalOp]

26. Didn't he want Obama to agree to a ridiculous number of town halls though?

It would have totally screwed with Obama's campaign schedule and people would have gotten so bored and sick of seeing the two of them in a town hall that they would tune out. Then the media could just pick and choose the "highlights" that make McCain look good.

Plus, if you think about it, wasn't he really asking to campaign alongside of Obama? I mean why is McCain so anxious to travel across the country in a series of appearances side by side Obama? He's hoping Obama's energy and favorability will rub off on him?

[Blasphemer]

32. He wanted 10 of these things

It was such a ridiculous suggestion, he had to know it was completely unfeasible. Someone suggested that McCain would come off better in a town hall meeting than he does in speeches so that's why it's would be more beneficial to the McCain campaign.

[Ganja Ninja]

27. No they want it too bad. Don't give it to them it's a Rove trap.

They have something planed. Some Republican shill or shills with a bunch of GOP talking points thinly disguised as questions will be lying in wait.

[Orsino]

28. Let McCain find his own crowds, if he can. n/t

[Avalux]

30. NO NO NO. McCain doesn't call the shots. Would make Obama look weak.

Three debates are plenty.

[Essene]

31. It's a trap, here is why....

Mccain's camp is banking on the following:

1. Media would become oversaturated with rhetoric, helping Mccain on the "character" argument over substance. What they actually are saying would become secondary to the down home stuff which favors Mccain (and folks have lower expectations from him in terms of debating)

2. Mccain is much better prepared in his short stump responses in these settings, and can hobble around with his "my friends, it's time to get serious" babble.

3. Town Halls dont conjure up the hard-hitting questions that journalists do. You wouldnt see carefully researched questions calling them out on their contradictions and stuff like that. You wouldnt see a carefully considered "range" of questions.

4. The occasional uncomfortable question can be deflected by PERSONAL response and shows of emotional sincerity, in a way that cannot be done in a proper debate.


Obama should NOT engage in Mccain-style town hall meetings and should respond by not even addressing the topic, but instead aggressively countering that Mccain is out of touch.

[AtomicKitten]

34. His events are invitation only. Obama isn't stupid.

[Giant Robot]

35. No

Do not validate this cruel, honor-less, desperate man. When asked about the negative tone this campaign has taking, he spoke about Obama not wanting to participate in those townhall style interactions, and if only Obama had done that the tenor of the campaign would have been different. Find the quote for yourself, its late for me to be researching. But that is the same kind of comment that an abusive husband would say to justify the beating he gives his wife. If only she had done what I asked I would not have had to slap her. Do not validate this. Do not participate in their framework.

And my belief is McCain would show up and turn it into a circus about flag pins, lipstick, celebrity and other culture war issues and end up being pointless. McCain is good at giving those direct one line answers that cause his followers to salivate. Obama is good at nuanced answers that make people think. McCain will come out looking good as he will get wild reactions from his contingent. When asked what McCain would do about evil, he said, "Defeat it." When asked what Obama would do, he said, "Be humble before it." Again may not be 100% accurate but close enough. Jingoism will play better at the townhalls and McCain will rise to that challenge.

So in my opinion, this would be a bad move for Obama either way. Stick with what is set up. I think that will work out well to Obama's strengths anyway.