About the "new" debate format if Mccain doesnt show...

[Essene]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/26/debate.mississippi/index.html

OXFORD, Mississippi (CNN) -- University of Mississippi Chancellor Robert Khayat said Friday morning that if GOP nominee McCain does not show for the first presidential debate at the school in Oxford, the format may include members of the audience to submit questions to the moderator, Jim Lehrer.

Lehrer would then pose the questions to Obama. It would take on a kind of town hall format, according to Khayat.

This means a departure from FOREIGN POLICY topics only.

The implication being that Obama could get prime-time high visibility town-hall style dialog with mississipi folks about this current economic crisis. There is absolutely NO WAY the Mccain camp can afford that at the end of the work week. Surely not all the networks would cover this, but you could bet CNN would cover it along with general coverage from the other networks (i.e. talking head spin).

Mccain's absence on a friday night is just not easily explained, even with a crisis.

Obama merely has to respond that "i don't see a conflict between taking the time to talk with real people on a friday night and solving this crisis." Game over.