Presidential Debates

Any word as to why BO won't debate McCain in town hall meetings? No press.. just the public... seems like a good idea to me, for all involved.

I hadnt heard, he really turned him down? Link?

There will be debates and Obama and McCain will get the chance to do the town hall setting ... McCain does not want a structured debate because he can't hang, everyone says Obama can't do the townhall as well as McCain but I bet you see Obama doing more and more town halls ... McCain ONLY wants town hall, Barack wants a combination of both. Barack can handle the town hall, he just wants to force McCain to also show how poor McCain is at the standard debate.

So Card ... it is not Barack trying to dodge debates ... both are trying to get the format they are strongest in.

i read they both declined with the same reason--they dont want it under the complete control of one news outlet unwilling to share feeds with other news outlets.

last time obama had a debate sponsored by this specific news station...wasnt over 45 minutes wasted on frenzy feeding crap like why doesnt obama wear a flag pin (took 15 minutes--and nobody asked hillary who never wears one either) etc?

I guess I prefer the townhall style.. no Fox News involvement in the questions, no time for the candidates to prepare their monologue as to what questions they'll get. Just candidates and voters in a room asking questions. If BO can't handle that type of format perhaps he's a little too "handled" and not really the savior you're hoping he is.

Clinton was great at these... anyone else remember him on the "Rock The Vote" settings with MTV?

cardinal5150 wrote:Clinton was great at these... anyone else remember him on the "Rock The Vote" settings with MTV?

Not so much, but I do remember that William Jefferson Clinton (hope I didn't offend anyone by using his given name ) was very good at the Town Hall setting as well. That, plus the fact that H. Ross Perot probably took away some votes from George Herbert Walker Bush, led to the first President Bush not getting re-elected. But the economy stupid may have played a part in that too.

Cincy Fan 44 wrote:Not so much, but I do remember that William Jefferson Clinton (hope I didn't offend anyone by using his given name ) was very good at the Town Hall setting as well.

Hey, Jefferson owned slaves. Are you insinuating that Clinton is pro-slavery? Just kidding of course.

Markwes wrote:

Cincy Fan 44 wrote:Not so much, but I do remember that William Jefferson Clinton (hope I didn't offend anyone by using his given name ) was very good at the Town Hall setting as well.

Hey, Jefferson owned slaves. Are you insinuating that Clinton is pro-slavery? Just kidding of course.

Oh no, and if I believe what others have said, he was an atheist too. So that must mean I'm anti-Christian. I am so ashamed.