Bush may chicken out of town-hall style debate.

[Eric J in MN]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1963&e=18&u=/ap/20040909/ap_on_el_pr/presidential_debates

The Washington Post on Wednesday reported unnamed Bush campaign officials saying that Bush's negotiating team wanted to opt out of the Oct. 8 question-and-answer session with undecided voters at Washington University in St. Louis. The officials said that the team, led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, was concerned members of the audience could be partisan. The audience is to be chosen by the Gallup Organization.

-------------------------------

Gee, wouldn't it be terrible if a Democrat were to ask Bush a question? Better to deprive the American people of an entire debate.

[LisaM]

1. I don't understand why it wouldn't work both ways

couldn't it conceivably attract partisan Republicans? After all, * has a DOUBLE DIGIT LEAD in all the polls. There must be some Republicans out there.

[Eric J in MN]

15. Yes, but Bush is a coward and Kerry isn't (nt)

nt

[wtmusic]

2. "Concerned members of the audience could be partisan"?

Translation: he's concerned members of the audience are going to rip him a new asshole.

What a wuss.

[michigandem2]

27. gotta love our "fearless leader" nt

[michigandem2]

28. has Kerry said anything on this yet?

he should make sure he was up for it..in fact he should still go to answer questions from all the attendees...Bush is a coward...we all know this..but maybe some people will actually SEE it..

[Gothmog]

3. Coward

Bush is a coward. He avoided Vietnam service and will not participate in a fair debate.

[fjc]

4. It's because it ain't scripted. He can't think on his feet, or even..

[blm]

5. This guy is afraid to answer a question from a Democratic citizen and he

wants us to believe he's tougher than Bin Laden?

[bluedeminredstate]

6. This isn't behavior becoming of a

Commander-in-Chief! He's supposed to be the toughest man in the world and he's scared of a couple citizens with firm political views?

[IronLionZion]

7. Bush is a girly boy

We need to say this loud and clear. He's a fucking coward and extremely indecisive and acrobatic flip-flopper.

It's ridiculous that he doesn't have the guts to answer to his own American people. Who is this pansy that calls himself our president?

Any real leader would not run and hide like a little bitch when questioned. Great leaders have handled stuff much worse than questions. Eisenhower went to Korea during the war and Yeltsin stood on top of a tank and defied the communists. The president of Columbia choppers into the rebel zone on a regular basis to give hope to his people. Tony Blair, asshole that he is, takes painfully tough questions every damn day since he chose to go to war.

[jimshoes]

8. What matters is that they are all Americans!

Get it Mr. Baker? The president is the president of all the Americans! Not just the subservient, kool-aid drinking, idol worshiping, brain numbed pack of fodder units that you pack chimpy's stump appearances with. Why won't he talk to us? Hmm?

[against all enemies]

9. Bush fails to fulfill his obligations -Again!!!

If he fails to come to the debate, make him pay by bringing up his past shirking of duties.

And by the way, If he doesn't show up for a Missouri debate, he had better not win Missouri. Can we at least put him on the defensive, he must be pretty confident to blow off a debate.

[IronLionZion]

10. He's been in dereliction of duty his whole life

Let's fire this underachieving pathetic loser

[npincus]

11. let Kerry attend and answer questions from undecided voters

and have an empty chair beside him on the stage

[Hubert Flottz]

12. An empty chair with a dunce hat in it!

Or a chimp!

[maine_raptor]

13. I say "Thank God" he's pulling out of one of the debates

George W. Bush is one of the most devastating debaters that the world has ever seen. His charm, wit, and almost super human ability to respond to an opponents points with searing cognitive language sprinkled with cutting humor is hard to beat in a public performance.

Karl Rove must be out of his mind (maybe overworked?) to cut down on the number of chances Bush will have to tear Kerry apart rhetorically.


(Hold down the flames folks, I'm still winking and nudging here)

[Raster]

14. it all boils down to this: imagine gee-dubya having to think...

and answer on national television spontaneously. dick "the handler" cheney won't be able to stand next to him and coach his answers.

[Eric J in MN]

16. The bottom line is that Bush knows an average citizen would

ask tougher questions than a famous tv reporter, and that's why he's chickening out.

[zulchzulu]

17. Chimpy should debate from the monkey cage in Austin Zoo

[Phorest]

18. Scared of a few citizens with the right questions huh? I would be too

if I had the blood of 20,000+ Iraqis and 1000+ Americans on my hands and lacked a damned good reason to back it up.

[newyawker99]

19. Hi Phorest!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Eric J in MN]

21. Good point (nt)

nt

[elehhhhna]

20. Kerry should offer Mano a' Mano (ask each other Q's) format.

[Rambis]

22. You work for us Assmunch!

You should be able to make time in your busy vacation schedule to show up when we want to hear from you.

[bobfertik]

23. Chicken W

Is Bush too chicken to debate Kerry?

Let's spread Chicken W around the internet :)

<img src=>

[Mr_Spock]

24. AWOL the COWARD, AWOL the Girly Man

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[jackstraw45]

25. CHICKEN GEORGE won't debate! CHICKEN GEORGE won't debate!

Does the Kerry campaign have the chicken following Chicken Bush around yet?!?!?!

The man is a COWARD. From 9/11 to debates, he has to run and hide unless those around him sign LOYALTY OATHS.

Enough is enough.

The man is a CHICKEN.

[JohnKimble]

26. More coverage

Here's another article about the president cancelling the debate from the host site itself.
http://tinyurl.com/49f2m

What a chickens**t.