Why is bush* terrified of the Town Hall debate format?

[MoonRiver]

I assume that the audience participants have all been cherry picked and there will be no surprises regarding their questions. Wtf does AWOL think is going to happen to him? Does he fear that since they have no media accountability someone might break ranks and throw him a HARD question? I cannot believe that we have to put up with such a wuss. Leader of the free world, greatest power on the face of the earth, cannot tolerate canned questions from American citizens! Wake me up. I MUST be dreaming!
:crazy:

[wellstone_democrat]

1. Someone *might*

just *might* take a brusque tone with him! He isn't used to that and will not stand for it. If the candidate of the other party, a US Senator is barely able to ask his majesty a question, how dare riff raff like us?

Frankly, its more "lower the expectations" game

[dumpster_baby]

9. yeah, he might get a rogue

Someone could take a nasty tone with him. Nothing in the rules about that, I would wager.

And the questioner could change the question. Now, the rules say that the person's mike will be cut off if that happens, but if the audience is in the same room, I would think that the person could just yell. Of course, here in Amerikka, land of the free and home of the brave, the greatest country in the world, such a crime against the elite would likely get you some jail time (I kid you not).

[MoonRiver]

23. We have fallen so low. Words cannot describe the horror I feel

about where this country is heading. :scared:

[dave123williams]

2. Guess he's a big, fat PUSSY.

It's amazing; for all the lipservice he pays to calling Liberals weak, he sure seems to be chickenshit scared of us.

"Partisan Questioning" is what an election is all about; TIME TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE, *.

[bigpathpaul]

6. Remind America that he is a pussy.

Best thing that could happen is he goes all squishy-faced again for 90 minutes. Or he trips.

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

Wake up America! It is NOT okay to have an incompetent president!




The full flyer, as well as others, can be downloaded at http://www.bigpath.net

[SidDithers]

38. Great posters...

thats's some fine work, bigpathpal :)

Sid

[jrthin]

3. They are setting us up.

Bush is going to come out, go BAM, and walk away with the debate. Again, the low expectation game.

[MoonRiver]

8. Why on earth would you make such an assumption?

He was a veritable vegetable just 4 days ago. Was that just a set-up to get us primed for the big "surprise" next Friday? :eyes:

[jrthin]

21. Saywhat, it was HEAVY sarcasm.

I forgot to ad a wink. That said, we'll keep our fingers crossed for the next debate.

[MoonRiver]

24. Jrthin, check post #22.

I meant to respond to you!

[MoonRiver]

22. Sorry then, it's hard to tell without a little hint.

:pals:

[dumpster_baby]

14. the important point is whether Kerry can do a followup?

What exactly is the format? If it is just taking questions from the audience, and no followup by the opposing candidate, this could be a very good format for Bush.

One reason why Kerry excelled last week was because of the point-counterpoint, rebuttal style of the format.

But if this next debate is a one-shot deal based on an audience question, Bush can just give a stock answer.

[Hello_Kitty]

4. I so wish someone would ask him about the PNAC

And it's mission for American world dominance. It's too much to hope for but it would be awesome.

[MoonRiver]

12. Well, if Edwards goes after Halliburton this Tues., as is anticipated,

that might get people riled up enough to do it. Script be damned.

[enigmatic]

5. Because there's a "chance" that he has to speak off the cuff....

w/ a question he wasn't expecting, and he can't do it w/o looking like a fool. And he also knows that Kerry isn't afraid of him.

[Catherine Vincent]

7. He's probably scared a dead soldier's mom will ask him an

embarassing question and he won't know how to answer.

[KittyWampus]

10. They're Trying To Do What Kerry Did With Timing Lights

lower expectations...

won't work.

[troublemaker]

11. He is not terrified of it - that's a ploy

Bush is very good with everyday slobs. It's authority figures that rattle him.

More importantly, Rove always accuses the other guy of whatever he's doing himself. Rove complained that the Gallup selected audience could be infiltrated by partisans, and I'm sure he was already in a position to know.

Republican activists ended up in two different TV groups of "undecided" voters, this will be no different. (I saw one of the network undercover Nazis. His debate review was that every time Kerry opened his mouth he, "sounded like an idiot." I remember wondering what this guy was undecided about...)

[MoonRiver]

15. If he's not terrified, why is he, reportedly, trying to wiggle out of it?

[troublemaker]

17. not all reports are correct

People lie about these kind of things before all debates. Our side put out the bogus complaint about the lights and it was widely reported. That didn't make it true. It's a mind-game.

They are trying to get our side to confuse him with his father. Town hall was terrible for GHW. Moderator with podiums is terrible for GWB. A moderator can follow-up or ask similar questions later if you refuse to answer. In town hall you just say some shit for a minute and the questioner is gone.

Plus, Bush will get to sit down sometimes while Kerry is answering. That's important because Bush is a real weakling and cannot comfortably stand up for more than half an hour.

stories this week about Bush being hesitant are just as likely to be from Rove, managing expectations.

[MoonRiver]

18. I don't know if the reports are correct. Intuitively, I believe they are.

I can't imagine junior facting citizens when somebody might ask him something he doesn't expect. But, I have been horrified and surprised by this thug many times before.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. A guy who is afraid to face ordinary American citizens

is the guy who is supposed to be protecting us from terrorists?

Riiight...

[goodwalt]

16. I think it's smoke

His speech writers will be responding to whatever questions get through the screening process. But by complaining NOW about this debate, and leaving it in the air until the last possible moment, he strengthens his argument for crying foul on the Kerry camp, and avoiding UN-scripted questions about domestic policy. "We put up with Camp Kerry's partisan shenanigans and rule breaking as long as we could, but..."

[Joe Turner]

19. Shrub was a Coward when he was young

Shrub is a Coward today. He Fears anything that he can't control.

[genius]

20. RNC Gallup is picking the audience and questions

[CityHall]

25. The key for our side

Bush will try to do his chatty campaign stum thing where he talks to the questioner and asks them to elaborate on why they're asking the question, what happened to them personally with their job and so forth. If he can do this, he'll either look involved and friendly, or the questioner will look too partisan if he doesn't cooperate. The key will be to get the questioners to be persistent in getting an answer, like that Irish reporter.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

26. * is allergic to torches, pitchforks, tar, and feathers. n/t

[Shadow30]

27. it may be a ploy but....

...I think there is an element of truth in thinking Bush is scared.While its a good ploy to lower expectations for Bush so he will look good so long as he doesn't screw up totally Bush I think has at least some fear of this debate.What it comes down to is Bush is a coward,he wants everything done in his favor,only supporters get into his rallies because he doesn't want to be seen being booed by anyone,he's had few press conferences,few difficult questions asked of him and thats how he wants it.This guy is terrified of the unexpected almost to the point of paranoia.There is something that happened around were I live that makes this point quite well.Back in July Bush came to my home town in PA to speak at a local university,not only were the small group of protesters that arrived for this event kept blocks away,not only were two people ejected from the event for wearing Kerry/Edwards t-shirts but two Bush supporters were forced out of the event by the secret service, why you ask?Both said they were voting for Bush but as it turns out this young man and his cousin were thrown from the event because he lived at his mothers house near by and his mother was a Kerry supporter that let the small group of local protesters set up on her front lawn and had Kerry/Edwards signs on her front lawn!!Thats all it took...this man is scared to face the people,scared to face anyone that doesn't support him and maybe Bush and his people are getting away with trying to get every question pre approved but there is an element of the unexpected in this debate that wasn't in the first,unlikely it may be but its there and that scares a man like Bush who likes to know he's won the game before he even starts to play.

[Doohickie]

28. I hear tell he's afraid to look in the mirror these days....

[mitchum]

29. The impertinence of the peasantry...

"How dare they question me?"

[CrowNotAngelGRL]

30. LOL on this

debate he might try to joke around a lot or hug some babies.

[SKKY]

31. He's not afraid, he's absolutely F*@$ING TERRIFIED of it- here's why...

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/08/10/149259

Watch the stream, because you need to see his facial and body gestures. Would't you be scared if you spouted the same crap?

[VOX]

32. It's a format that basically reveals the emperor's clothing (or not)...

It calls for thinking on your feet **while** simultaneously connecting on emotional and personal levels, and obviously, these are not *'s long suits. As seen last week, he even has trouble connecting with memorized sound bites.

Bill Clinton is still the undefeated master of the town-hall format.

[napi21]

33. Here's a clip from the AP re TH debate.

By agreement, the 100 to 150 people will be equal parts "soft" Bush supporters and "soft" Kerry supporters. That means they are leaning to one candidate or the other but willing to be persuaded otherwise.

The audience will be hand-picked, but by the Gallup polling organization, not the campaigns. Members will submit questions to a moderator ahead of time, and the campaigns will not know the topics.

That may bode better for Kerry, who even if somewhat cosseted as a presidential nominee can better recall the rough and tumble of a recent primary fight he nearly lost.

Bush looked affronted in last week's first debate, Goldford said, unaccustomed as an incumbent president to being challenged face to face.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/9834544.htm

To read the article I had to do a free signup.

[RafterMan]

35. Hmmm

Hand-picked by Gallup?

So by "equal parts" do they mean 3-2 republicans?

[VOX]

36. Interesting article...

Thanks for posting, napi21.

:toast:

[NightOwwl]

34. I do think he'll have more wriggle room with the Town Hall format.

Any time he gets flustered he'll start talking values. I'll bet he uses the word at least 50 times during the debate.

[SKKY]

37. Kerry looked better because he's been battle-hardened...

...Bush hasn't had the advantage of a brutal primary. Kerry has, and clearly looks the better for it. I watched the 2000 debate and something was bothering me that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but now I know- Bush was just more practiced in 2000. Kerry is more practiced in 2004. I suspect the results for both candidates will be the same, although I don't think Kerry will have to, as my British friends say, "nick" the election.