About those ten town hall meetings that never happened
Back in June or July, the McCain campaign invited (or challenged) Obama to join John McCain for a series of ten townhall meetings around the country. The Obama campaign pretended to consider this seriously and ultimately declined.
Many have regretted this, including me. It would have been a great thing for our troubled republic to see these two men sparring civilly over the great issues of the moment.
I also believe that Obama would have shone in that context, as he did last night when he finally did engage McCain in a townhall setting. Despite the Obama campaign's repeated acknowledgment of McCain's excellence in this particular format, I'm pretty sure they have always known that Obama actually has a natural advantage any time he is on the same stage with McCain - he is more at ease, more fluid in his movements, taller, has a better voice, is more likeable, projects greater calm and a surprising (to those who expect him to be either callow, or intimidated by McCain's stature) confidence and command.
Nevertheless, had I been advising Obama, I probably would have agreed with the refusal. Tactically, it made sense. McCain had less money and was not generating enthusiasm. Until the Palin nomination, McCain was having trouble getting people to pay attention to him.
I was pretty sure that free publicity was the McCain campaign's real motive for proposing a series of town hall forums, and also the primary reason for the Obama campaign's refusal.
More than anything else, these ten forums would have provided free national coverage for McCain, who could not afford to advertise widely and couldn't draw much of a crowd. Obama was ahead in the polls and had no reason to give McCain a chance to talk to millions of voters whom he couldn't otherwise reach.
Many have regretted this, including me. It would have been a great thing for our troubled republic to see these two men sparring civilly over the great issues of the moment.
I also believe that Obama would have shone in that context, as he did last night when he finally did engage McCain in a townhall setting. Despite the Obama campaign's repeated acknowledgment of McCain's excellence in this particular format, I'm pretty sure they have always known that Obama actually has a natural advantage any time he is on the same stage with McCain - he is more at ease, more fluid in his movements, taller, has a better voice, is more likeable, projects greater calm and a surprising (to those who expect him to be either callow, or intimidated by McCain's stature) confidence and command.
Nevertheless, had I been advising Obama, I probably would have agreed with the refusal. Tactically, it made sense. McCain had less money and was not generating enthusiasm. Until the Palin nomination, McCain was having trouble getting people to pay attention to him.
I was pretty sure that free publicity was the McCain campaign's real motive for proposing a series of town hall forums, and also the primary reason for the Obama campaign's refusal.
More than anything else, these ten forums would have provided free national coverage for McCain, who could not afford to advertise widely and couldn't draw much of a crowd. Obama was ahead in the polls and had no reason to give McCain a chance to talk to millions of voters whom he couldn't otherwise reach.