Obama should agree to weekly town halls with McCain

[mw]

Obama should say:

"Since McCain claims that his gutter politics are somehow due to the fact that we don't meet weekly, and I will do anything to elevate the debate out of the gutter, then let's meet!"

If Obama presses for weekly meeting between he and McCain, AND Biden and Palin, he would:

- Shut McCain up about his "the campaign wouldn't be negative if we met" crap.
- Remove McCain's stated reason for being negative
- Force McCain to either say "no", or agree to have Palin meet weekly with Biden.

PLUS Obama could set the conditions: "back and forth, we can question each other, etc"

[WI_DEM]

1. somebody else had another suggestion as well, Obama will do it, if McCain agrees to have Palin meet

Biden in a series of town meetings as well.

[mw]

2. Perfect! Press Palin to meet as well!

Obama must do it.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

4. Brilliant! nt

[Motown_Johnny]

3. The debates are right around the corner...

[mw]

5. It's not just the debates. Obama could turn the tables on McCain

If Obama presses for weekly meeting between he and McCain, AND Biden and Palin, he would:

- Shut McCain up about his "the campaign wouldn't be negative if we met" crap.
- Remove McCain's stated reason for being negative
- Force McCain to either say "no", or agree to have Palin meet weekly with Biden.


It would be a brilliant play

[CowboyHeyHey]

6. Weekly town halls

They should meet weekly in Town Hall-style format. The first 5-10 minutes should feature a representative from FactCheck.org who will rate the truthfulness of each candidate's ads. The candidate must then either agree to pull the ad or present hard evidence of why he is right and FactCheck is wrong (by the following week). If he does neither, he is no longer eligible to participate in future town halls.

[cliffordu]

7. Bullshit. accommodating McCain on this level is succumbing to blackmail.

McCain said he'd run an honorable campaign and has peoven he'll lie about anything.

Fuck him. He knows the deal with new voter registrations. He's toast.

[1corona4u]

9. Exactly...I was typing as you posted.

[cliffordu]

15. Great minds.....

:hi:

[mw]

10. How is it "accomodating"? The last thing McCain wants is to meet

McCain doesn't REALLY want to meet with Obama. That's just a ruse on his part.

Obama should shove it up McCain's ass. Yes, Obama "gives in", but Obama gets alot out of it: Corners Palin, forces McCain to meet with Obama--something Obama will benefit from, AND shuts down McCain's stated reason for being so negative.

[cliffordu]

14. He won't stop the negative crap. He's a liar and it is proven every time he puts out

another lie about Obama. Let him get his ass kicked on the view.

Let him flounder with nothing but his lies and bullshit

Meeting him just gives him credibility.

[road2000]

22. Exactly.

McCain is saying, "I'll run a decent campaign only if I can have my preferred format." This is absurd.

[otohara]

18. Yup, Yup

what you said....

[1corona4u]

8. The only reason Mccrap wants that, is so he can TRY to reach more

people. He can't draw near the crowds that Obama does, so he wants to use Obama to get people there. Think about it. There is no logical reason to do it. 2 completely different audiences, and the right wingers would not be won over by Obama, nor the left to Mccrap.

Mccrap is "punishing Obama" for not doing it though, and has made several comments to the effect; "well, it wouldn't be this way if he would have agreed to town hall meetings"...that's bullshit, and he's punishing Obama for not doing it. That's how I take it anyway.

[brooklynite]

11. WITH THE PROVISION that each can challenge the other's statements

[mw]

13. Agreed. Obama should set the ground rules when he agrees nt

nt

[TrogL]

12. Then Obama is going to have to learn to shorten his sentences

...and memorize his talking points instead of improvising and musing off the cuff.

It may work in an interview setting, but not in a town hall setting. I'm even a bit conerned (no I'm not a concern troll so don't start) about the debates, but I'm assuming he's got debate coaches.

[AlinPA]

16. I see too much emphasis here on "The Debates".

(I know I am repeating myself from posts elsewhere)

Most of Americans do not care about ideas and thinking; they want a show. They are focused on personalities and the candidates' clothes, hair, and complexion. Those media driven events boil down to zingers and one-liner soundbites.

The media questions about flags, flag pins, God, bibles, "patriotism" and other non-issues are what most Americans want. The format favors republicans who are loaded with dumbed down "answers". Anything longer than two sentences will confuse and bore most Americans.

The media will decide who "wins" any "debate".

[rxdem84]

17. All four meet and sit around a round table. No audience. Just

television stations carrying footage live. Discuss the issues unmoderated.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

19. WAKE UP!! Town halls are fixed. The audience is prescreened and the

questions are NOT randomly selected. It would amount to an ambush just like the Saddleback was. Bush did a lot of town halls and he preferred them so that he could fix the audience AND the questions. Obama was right not to cow tow to this motherfucker!!

Relax, DU!! The debates are upon us. They will be the game-changer!!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

23. Agreed. The 'ringers' with whom McCain's Rove-trained handlers would stack audiences

would rival the "Brooks Brothers riot" mob that stopped ballot-counting in Miami-Dade.

Then upon a McCain "victory", those ringers would reap cushy Federal jobs.

See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31074-2005Jan23.html

[TheKentuckian]

20. My instinct is to tell McShame to sit and spin

I don't want to dignify his lame ass excuse for dishonorable behavior or give him airtime when his resources are tight.

Keep pressing, these pricks are beyond desperate.

[dbonds]

21. That is just a distraction.

It takes Obama off the road where he needs to be campaigning and it allows someone else to set the topics and message. The debates will be enough for the contrast. McCain says that to get Obama away from where he is making the most headway.