I wonder why McCain is pushing the "town hall" style meetings with Obama?

[Lex]

Is he so deluded that he thinks he'll come off well to the public in these town hall formats?

Is he convinced that Obama will surely come off better in the the debate-style format? (Like Nixon v. Kennedy in 1960.)

I think he will bomb spectacularly in any format vs. Obama, unless the suck-up corporate press props him up as they did Bush vs. both Gore and Kerry. That thought truly scares me.

[OwnedByFerrets]

1. Its the only way he can get the same amount of

people in an audience.

[applegrove]

29. That is what Rachel Maddow said. Makes sense. Also Obama's strong

suit is not debating. He improved a great deal over the last year - but still he rarely won, if at all.

[speedoo]

2. He absolutely sucks in every other format.

Town hall format is where he sucks the least.

The MSM is truly his only chance.

[Cant trust em]

3. This is great for Obama, IMO.

We've seen him fire up a crowd of 20,000. What people need to see more of from Obama is the policy wonk side. It's tough to have an in depth discussion on foreign affairs with a basketball arena. This is going to backfire for McCain.

[texasleo]

4. He will get cheap applause with "patriotic" phrases.

Those applause lines will be played over and over again on the news programs. Obama will be depicted us "unpatriotic."
Obama has too much to lose.

[MarianJack]

5. He's nearly broke, Obama has lots of $$$,...

...and he wants to piggyback.

[my2sense]

6. Exactly!

[Fleshdancer]

9. This is the only answer that makes sense to me n/t

[Lex]

10. How will a "town hall" vs. a "debate" help him piggyback more?

:shrug:

[MarianJack]

20. The Debates are a likely given and (I believe) the dates...

...are set.

If I recall, McSame wanted 10 town halls this summer and to travel WITH Obama to at least the first one. IMHO, he wanted the publicity, free air time and to manipulate the Obama campaign into paying some of his expenses.

Financial desperation leads to many actions.

[uppityperson]

21. And because if Obama turns him down, he can whine "I wanted to but he was scared"

or some such. Make an offer no one wants, and you can take credit for the offer.

Hey, want a poke in the eye with a sharp stick? No? You never take me up on my offers.

[MarianJack]

43. Also a good point!

I actually don't mind the town hall debates, but make mcsame pony up for his own damn transportation and don't have them before the conventions and not at the expense of the scheduled debates.

[Liberal Gramma]

7. Because they're free?

And he doesn't do well with big audiences, unlike our candidate.

[Lex]

13. I didn't realize "town hall meetings" were a money-saving proposition

over regular debates.

Interesting.

[Liberal Gramma]

18. Debates would probably be free, too, because the networks would pay for the time

I think any meeting between McCain and Obama has to favor McCain financially.

[seasat]

22. It's cheaper than TV ad buys.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002216444_bush23.html">McCain would get free air time with 10 town hall style meetings and he can't afford to buy as much TV time as Obama will be able to. He'll get further air time as the news media replays the exchanges. Being a town hall style meeting, McCain can plant some supporters that will throw him some softball questions that he can use to deliver rehearsed answers.

[napi21]

8. McNUts usually does a good job at town halls because he has

the ability to pull off jokes quite well with people and is very relaxed and comfortable in that setting. It however is also risky for him. It was the TH setting when he made the "stay in Iraq for 100 years" gaff. His campaign thinks this is his BEST forum though.

[Lex]

17. His lame jokes and that creepy smile . . .

I'm looking forward to seeing how that works for him!

[tridim]

11. Probably because he's worried about vomiting on stage during a normal debate

He's a nervous wreck because his handlers are suppressing his rage instinct.

[Alter Ego]

12. He thinks he'll pull Obama off his game

by getting him off the podium and away from stump speeches.

[Lex]

16. A regular debate would do that too (pull him off stump speeches)

at least to some extent anyway.

From what I've seen, Obama can think much quicker off the cuff than McCain, so that would come in handy in either format.

[Alter Ego]

19. Obama tends to overthink what he says

hence the "uh"s in his speech at the debates. However, this is much more effective in preventing gaffes and it shows an unwillingness to take the easy way out with cheap, pre-wrapped soundbites--so I'll take it. It doesn't detract from the intelligence of what he says, unlike Dubya.

Once the crowd gets a taste of McCain's awkward, hoarse laughter after a horribly-delivered line written by his speechwriters the gloves will be off.

[JerseygirlCT]

33. I read the results of a study recently about that

about the "uhs" in people's speech. It said that those pauses help people really listen to the speaker. That people retained what was said much better when the speaker sprinkled those in.

Now, I'm one who cringes when someone throws, "like" or "you know" in with every other word. Makes mild-mannered me want to slap the person.

But I do think that Obama is making good use of those pauses -- to think about what he's saying. And as a benefit, that technique may actually be helping him communicate more effectively!

[Lex]

39. I think over time he can train himself not to do that, but to pause

silently, and then continue. That's even more effective I think.

[JerseygirlCT]

42. I wish I could find this thing

but that's what surprised me. Apparently, that's not what they found. It was the uhs and ums that made it easier for the audience to absorb whatever the speaker was saying.

As I said, I'm going from memory here, but I remember it because it surprised me.

[NJmaverick]

14. He can't give a speech and he is a bad debater. So this what he does best

so he is hoping to be compared to Obama in the best possible light.

[Cleita]

15. He can't debate Obama and he knows the corporate media will blow off

Obama in this town hall format focusing on him and his "popularity" just like they did with Bush back when he was running against Bush.

[LSparkle]

23. Free airtime.

Plain and simple.

[Lex]

25. Same as debates.

I was trying to discern why town-hall formats seemed to be preferable to debates for McCain, in my OP.

[Johonny]

24. It's content free also

Just throw a few people in the audience to ask swiftboat questions at Obama. It's a great way to keep the debate about anything other than the current state of the country.

[Lex]

26. True. Debates are more pointed questions. Town-halls are BS-y.

nt

[Johonny]

37. Of course it depends

That one Charlie Gibson debate was horrible, so debates are very dependent on the moderator. Town hall can be excellent so long as the crowd isn't packed. W in 2000 completely bombed in a MTV townhall where 17 year olds were out thinking him on questions, then spent his presidency talking to fake stacked audience town halls.

[ieoeja]

27. He wants someone really popular with him on the campaign trail? n/t

[Lex]

28. LOL. True enough!

Clever move then.

[AlCzervik]

30. he probably would like to be in front of an actual crowd,

[Lex]

31. yes, and I think that will cause him to melt-down

should be fun to watch, though

[AlCzervik]

35. oh yeah, can't wait to see a split screen. I hope it will be on a high def channel.

[JerseygirlCT]

32. Yes, I agree with you on all points.

He's probably surrounded by yes-people who tell him how great he'll be in that format. (Probably thinking he won't have to read a teleprompter that way, lol)

But I think in any format, he's going to come across terribly vs. Obama.

And yes, the MSM treatment frightens me, too.

[BonnieJW]

34. He'll come off REALLY well

if he can park enough plants in the meeting.

[Disturbed]

36. McLame needs the audience & also wants Obama to

split the costs of flying around on Cindy's jet.

[moondust]

38. My friends, my friends, my friends.

Town hall is a more intimate setting where he feels he can connect with people. He is not good at more abstract mass media events or with large audiences.

[MiniMe]

40. Because he is terrible at debates. If Obama holds out for debates,

McCain is in trouble. Plus, it will get much more media exposure.

[tom_paine]

41. He wants help from his Bushie Media and Toady Media pals.

maybe they can get Gibson and Steffie to host it and ask those incisive questions again.

:puke:

[TransitJohn]

44. "Town Halls" and what passed for "debates" so far both suck

I'm all for real debates with Moyers moderating.