McCain, Obama fail to agree on Townhall Meetings
Townhall
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday rejected Republican rival John McCain’s proposal for 10 joint town-hall appearances, offering instead to have just one on the July 4 holiday.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said he offered to meet McCain in five joint appearances between now and the Nov. 4 election. But only one of those was a town-hall meeting, plus three traditional debates and an in-depth debate on foreign policy.
The McCain campaign said Obama’s offer was to hold the single town hall on Independence Day _ which likely would have resulted in less attention while Americans are on holiday. McCain told reporters traveling with him in New Jersey that was “a very disappointing response.”
McCain had said the more intimate town-hall format, a give-and-take between a candidate and the audience, would allow real interaction with voters and would be more revealing than formal televised debates. Town halls are also McCain’s favorite style of campaigning and would allow him to get free media attention alongside the better-funded Obama.
When a McCain adviser first floated the idea last month, Obama said it was a great idea. But the Illinois senator told reporters Tuesday that it’s not realistic to have 10 town halls with all the other campaigning he needs to do after just clinching the Democratic Party’s nomination months after McCain wrapped up the GOP nod.
The two campaigns have been unable to work out a deal, other than to agree that the town halls should not be sponsored by media organizations and instead be open to all networks like presidential debates. The two sides on Sunday jointly rejected an offer by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ABC News to host the first town hall for that reason.
Plouffe tried to place the blame on McCain for refusing to agree, saying five joint appearances “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.”
“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,” Plouffe said.
McCain responded during a brief news conference in Pemberton, N.J., where he traveled for his own town hall.
“I’ll let the American people decide which is the preferable proposal,” he said. “I want the American people to have the exposure to a number of town hall meetings, not just one.”
Wild Thing’s comment……..
Let’s see it is not that Obama won’t wear a lapel pin it is the reason he said he would not wear one.
Then there is his attitude about our Anthem and NOW THIS!
Is it me or what! I find this VERY offensive that Obama has suggested to debate one of their Townhall debates on July 4th, Independence Day. Obviously it is a day that means NOTHING to B. Hussein Obama.
Instead of just saying no to him, oh how I wish McCain had taken the opportunity to lay into Obama on what July 4th means to our country. There was such an opportunity to do so and NOTHING was mentioned about it at all.
Only that people would not be around to watch it. …. “would have resulted in less attention while Americans are on holiday“……
The Declaration of Independence is more than just a piece of paper. It is a symbol of our country’s independence and commitment to certain ideas.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence wanted the citizens of the United States to have a document that spelled out what was important to our leaders and citizens. They wanted us to be able to look at the Declaration of Independence and immediately think of the goals we should always be working for, and about the people who have fought so hard to make these ideas possible.
The people who signed the Declaration risked being hanged for treason by the leaders in Great Britain. They had to be very brave to sign something that would be considered a crime! So every time we look at the Declaration of Independence, we should think about all of the effort and ideas that went into the document, and about the courage it took for these people to stand up for what they knew was right — independence!
Mr. Change knows that the fourth of July is the day after July 3rd! Hamas for Obama bin Laden in 2008!!
I find this from Atlas Shrugs beyond the pale
Fox’s News Network best anchor has been fired for a perceived slight to the Obamas. I am vomiting. E.D. Hill was a FOX asset, a unique voice is a sea of nonsense. Hill made Fox tolerable to those who refuse Jim Jones beverage of choice.
Question, Is everyone out to kiss this clowns butt? You know The press has trashed Bush for 8
long years,thats ok but don’t say any thing
about his Royal High Ass!!! Screw him!!!!
It is obvious that community organizer Barack Hussein Obama is a coward and afraid of participating in 10 real town hall meetings. He would be forced to provide details to his hope, change, and unity themes used to whip up and rally a crowd but actually says nothing.
If Obama still refuses to participate, McCain should hold them himself talking about the issues, his solutions, and answering questions and having dialogue with a cross section of citizens. In the spirit of the Apple Mac and PC TV ads, McCain should have an Obama stand-in who periodically comments with one, two, or three word responses and answers using only the three words, of “hope”, “change”, and “unity”. That is the sum and substance of Barack Hussein Obama.
I don’t see how McCain’s high road stance will help him other than to hold his famous temper in check. McCain will have to get dirty because he has a wealth of baggage he is carting behind him and the Obama campaign will certainly use it.
I wish they would have a series of townhall meetings. McCain is better off the cuff than he is reading a teleprompted speech. Obama is just the opposite. The advantage would be to McCain.
Darth,yes your right, and Obama well he makes me sick he does he does!!!
What nerve to mess with or even think of messing with July 4th.
Tincan Sailor, OH NOooooooooooo that is horrible!
She was so good and so nice. Thanks for telling us.
Les, yes there is nothing else he can stand there and repeat….. change and I am sick of his word change hahaa and unity which he does not do nor will he ever unify anyone, and hope his hope to be dictator.
Tom I agree, McCain will do well in those and Obama will still be stuttering and stammering as McCain moves on to the next question. hahaha
Kiran Chetry was RELOCATED to CNN for a similar deal? ED Hill WAS FOX NEWS – period! Fair & PC now, eh? I think their morning show now is a JOKE with Goosey Loosey Douchey & Brian wannabe a sports legend. I watch Brit Hume at 6 p.m. SPECIAL REPORT and Ollie North’s WAR STORIES! FOX NEWS now has regressed and they even canned MY WORD’s John Gibson months ago at 5 p.m. for leggy blonde Megyn Kendall? FOX wants FOXY eye candy now for leggy ratings, eh?
Darth, I liked John Gibson too. It sure gets disappointing when they have good people and then get rid of them.