No deal on town halls
Republican John McCain is keeping up the drumbeat pressuring Barack Obama to join him in a series of town hall meetings before the respective parties' national conventions.
He accepted a proposal from the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif., and the Lyndon Johnson presidential library in Austin, Tex., for town halls in July. "The American people deserve a great debate about the future of our country, and we hope that Barack Obama will join us for these important events at these historic venues," his campaign said in a statement.
He also scheduled the next of the series of 10 he has proposed for every Thursday for next week in Minnesota -- and challenged Obama to show up. And his campaign manager, Rick Davis, wrote a letter to his counterpart in the Obama campaign, David Plouffe, saying a counterproposal isn't enough.
The Obama campaign just responded with a statement of its own, saying it had offered to hold a town hall on the economy in July and one on foreign policy in August, besides the three officially sanctioned debates, Sept. 26 in Oxford, Miss., Oct. 7 in Nashville, Tenn., and Oct. 15 in Hempstead, N.Y.
“That package of five engagements would have been the most of any Presidential campaign in the modern era -- offering a broad range of formats -- and representing a historic commitment to openness and transparency," Plouffe said in the statement. “It’s disappointing that Senator McCain and his campaign decided to decline this proposal. Apparently they would rather contrive a political issue than foster a genuine discussion about the future of our country."
McCain, in town halls Thursday afternoon in Nashua, N.H., Thursday night in New York, and today in Pemberton, N.J., is arguing that such events are far more useful for voters than the gotcha campaigning going on, when every slip of the tongue is blown out of proportion.
McCain benefited by having the New York one shown on Fox News Channel, but Democrats are accusing him of misleading viewers. His campaign billed the gathering as one of Democrats and independents, but Fox News acknowledged at the end of the broadcast that the audience was made up of invited guests and supporters. The Democratic National Committee sent out a clip of that clarification.
"Once again John McCain's campaign is trying to mislead the American people," DNC Chairman Howard Dean said in a statement. "Senator McCain should understand that after seven years of a President who has divided Americans and pursued a scorched earth policy full of misleading propaganda campaigns, we need a leader who understands he is the President for all Americans not just his supporters. Copying the Bush campaign model of stacking events with his prescreened supporters is not the transparency Americans are looking for. If that is Senator McCain's idea of straight talk, the American people are in for a long and disappointing campaign season."
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Message for Howard Dean-
tell me ONE public arena that Obama didn't have filled with his supporters!!!
I'm fairly sure that when Obama was at the Boston convention center for a speech and rally several months ago, anyone that wanted could just show up and get in.
Hey Robin, anyone that wants to come can come to Obama's rallys. They are not by invitation only.
the obama rallies i have been to have been free for anyone to attend, regardless of party affiliation or support for any particular candidates. most were probably supporters, yes, but what they are saying is that mccain prescreens his audiences and selectively distributes tickets to events such as this one.
the whole point is that mccain tried (unsuccessfully) to lable the event as "democrats and independents" as if it was an objective forum. if he would have just said in the beginning that it was an event filled with his republican based supporters and did not lie about it we wouldnt be having this discussion. get the point?
All Obama really needs to do is show up and be heard. why is he not choosing to do so? This sort of remids the voter of Obaman's senate record of votng "present" instead of yes or no on simple issues.
All shine and no substance...All glitter and glamour; you say you're giving the people hope? Obama- today's "Golden Dancer"
I like the town hall setting for debate myself. It's less of propaganda and more of seeing who the real candidate is. I don't like the debates where the candidates memorize their talking points and just reply to the other's talking points with...MORE talking points. Town hall meetings are the way to go. Too bad Obama can't cut his ties to the teleprompter.
What is Senator Obama afraid of? The truth about is so called change would come out?
Let the debates begin
I personally don't know of one off-hand, Robin, but the point is that McCain's campaign "billed the gathering as one of Democrats and independents."
Tell me ONE public arena that Obama's campaign billed as a gathering of Republicans and independents, but wasn't.
That what you expect from Republicans, Trap Trap and Tran and nastiness
Barack obama - BARRAAAK-BUK-BUK, BARAAAK-BUK-BUK-BUK!!! Run chicken little, the sky is falling
the point is, mccains people were misleading on who was going to be there. you understand?
But he didn't lie about it. He made no representation that it was a "gathering ... of Democrats and independents"
Pretty bad when you are critisized over a debate where you are the only candidate present.
Was'nt McCain a pillot in WW II?
McCain should have held his debate with himself in a 60,000 seat stadium.
Oh ya it would have taken an appearance by Obama to fill it-
I think the GOP is coding big time--
Robin..
A campaign rally would be filled with supporters, but a town hall meeting is a forum for debate which is impossible with a stacked audience.. I don't blame Obama for skipping it.
I can't help but feel that Dean hurts his party with the atitude he has taken since his loss in the '04 primary. Once the comparisons of McCain to Bush get old (and yes, they will over the course of the next 6 months) the Democrats will need a clear message to stop McCain from beating them to death on policy.
I guess the current flow of the public seems to be in Obama's favor, following Clinton's withdrawl, which is typical of any election season, but the truth is that comments about McCain's third term work best with Democrat faithfuls but don't reflect McCain's true record as a politician. In the next few months the Democrats will have to fight for the votes of those who have not drank the punch, and red-faced-ranting Dean is hardly the right person to appeal to that demographic.
Robin, the difference is "His (McCains) campaign billed the gathering as one of Democrats and independents"
Well, they aren't always supporters when Obama starts talking, but they're always supporters by the end. It's contagious.
McCain deliberately attempted to create the apperance that the event was not "made up of invited guests and supporters", which was false.
Dean does seem to have not quite nailed that one, but I think the point about McCain being wilfully deceptive is clear.
Sure, when he's just giving speeches, it's full of his supporters, but his smaller, town-hall style meetings include people who have reservations about him, not just people who can say things like "You're a hero to me, Senator McCain!" on film.
Then show up for the town meetings, schedule some and invite McCain or just keep saying the word "Change". Put up or shut up.
Looks like BO is afraid of trying to think on his feet. He couldn't answer any questions off the cuff during the primaries and now he's stonewalling town hall meetings with McCain because he knows he's going to look bad.
Have voted Democratic for 20 years, but I'm an Independent, and it looks like the Dems don't have a person capable of making decisions or knowing any answers as a nominee this year. Looks like if that phone rung at 3 AM for BO he wouldn't be able to answer it at all because he can't do anything until somebody has the time to tell him what it should be and write out the answer for him.
Those 120 "Present" votes are very telling. The man can't make decisions. The man is not informed. He can deliver a beautiful speech, but he doesn't know what to put in it or what to say until somebody else tells him.
Do we really want a guy who needs Dr. Phil to hold his hand and coach him on every decision large or small? No wonder our enemies have endorsed the guy. They know they can do whatever they want while BO is waiting for someone to tell him what to say and do.
Vote Nader
Howard Dean is a jerk. Let's face it Obama doesn't want to take questions from honest hard working Americans. All he wants to do is talk and not listen. He's great on his stump speeches where no one gets to ask him questions. The American people are smart, and we want answers not more campaign speeches. If Obama is afraid to answer your questions, how can he be trusted to listen to you when he becomes president? Does he really think he is beyond question? Hillary was right, he is an elite-ist. I watched McCain's town hall meting, it was a great format for everyday American's to ask questions and get straight answers. What are you afraid of Obama? What are you afraid of Howard Dean? What are you afraid of DNC? We certainly do not need a president who is afraid to answer questions from the voters. I'm an independent who will vote for McCain. At least he isn't afraid of tough questions. Remember: Brack was the one who issued a challenge to debate McCain anytime, anywhere. Well, your bluff has been called and you have been found out. Coward!
the point is, mccains people were misleading on who was going to be there. you understand?
Rove carefully managed and manipulated all of W's appearances during his elections in ways that were unprecedented and undemocratic. All of his audiences were restricted to loyalists for the purpose of showing fawning fans at his rallies. Rove also controlled media access, making sure it would be friendly. It was disgusting, but it worked.
McCain may be trying for the same thing, but he's going to have real problems trying to justify his policies to anyone, even conservatives. An independent tax research organization reported yesterday that his tax policies was going to cost the country a billion dollars more than Obama's proposals. Today, the news is reporting that Iraq's al Maliki won't agree to our long term plans there. So much for McCain's desire to keep us there inperpetuity.
Did anybody watch the town hall meeting? McCain sounded presidential, and has way better ideas than Obama. I would be scared too if i was Obama.
How they made a guy, who got shot down, a hero and was nailed in the savings and loan mess a straight shooter is amazing. McCain will find out age is a liability.
The point, as I see it, Obama is not going to be pushed or manipulated or bullied into doing ANYTHING just because McLame wants it to happen. McLame is doing exactly what 'W' did, mislead the American public. Many people call McLame a war hero, a man of integrity. The facts as I understand them is he was captured, some might argue that doesn't make him a hero it makes him an idiot. I would argue that point because when he returned from being a POW hero, he divorced his wife after she had been badly injured in an auto accicident, a month later married a rich, attractive woman (17 years his junior) that owns a beer distributorship. That doesn't sound like an idiot, more like a 'good ole boy' republican role model.
The Primary Debates were set up allowing allot of contrived, news media 'Gotcha' type questions. I like the idea of Town Hall debates with real people asking about real issues. I'm not sure Sen. McCain shines as brightly as some say in the Town Hall format. I am sure that Howard Dean's rants shed more bad light than good on Sen. Obama.
What's Obama afraid of? More dirty secrets? More crooks as friends? More connections to Islam? He wants it his way.........no one but the monitors can ask questions at debates but at town hall meetings, questions are asked by voters.
Obama has secrets.
"The American people are smart, and we want answers not more campaign speeches."
I suppose that thats why you smart guys voted for Dubya, and are now hoping that a guy who finished at the bottom of his class in the naval academy (both papa's boys) continues the stink..
stop throwing around the term "honest hardworking Americans" - as if a lot of Obama supporters are dishonest/lazy
Are we not talking about men running for the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES?
I don't understand the Town Hall concept. Sound like Andy of May Berry and Aunt
Bee's pie tasting.......
McCain is a Republican embarrassment. He panders to the most ill informed electorate..We who pay a smidge of attention know this ploy from Reagan V Bush . Then McCain says detainees shouldn't have rights..Even if that's the proper decision, he looks crazy saying it..The N Vietnamese considered him an unlawful combatant and probably had a more lawful argument than the US has now. He could be the screw up that finally divides the republican party into the christian socialist wing and the conservative libertarian wing..which would actually be fine with me.. the zealots have ruined the republican party for far too long
McCain just spoke a little early. He is the new Decider. He decided for Obama how many debates and the format. And he decided for Obama that Obama needs to go to Iraq with McCain. What will he decide next. The world is on the edge of its seat.