information about town hall debate

[dumpster_baby]

President Bush and Sen. John Kerry talk often about the needs and ambitions of ordinary people, but neither encounters many along a campaign trail defined by the exquisitely stage-managed photo op and fortified by Secret Service agents.

Despite almost daily campaign events styled as "town hall" sessions with voters, such as the candidates held Monday, neither the Republican incumbent nor the Democratic challenger has much recent experience with the relatively unscripted town-hall format of their next debate on Friday.


...

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.



http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/9834544.htm?1c

[LibertyorDeath]

1. Why not just let Rove pick them

"The audience will be hand-picked, but by the Gallup polling organization"

Gallup is a biased piece of shit polling company.

[CityHall]

2. I'd been wondering about that

They must both be trying like crazy to get advance info on the questions, and to sneak ringers into the audience. Surely the Secret Service could be used for this since they'll be screening everyone who's picked to be there.