Obama: Not Enough Time for Town Halls - Page 3 - U.S. Politics Online: A Political Discussion Forum

goober · #31 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

It's a good strategy, Obama is going to have a more money to spend, so he's going to be able to dominate the media.
Doing town halls with McCain gives McCain free air time, and having Obama on the show would give it huge ratings, it would lessen the impact of Obama's fund raising edge.
Let McCain do his coffees and his rotary club luncheons, why give him that kind of exposure?

noahath · #32 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Marcel

The risk that McCain is taking with that is that by making this campaign into a referendum about Obama, a lot of people will get to know him and see if he seems levelheaded enough to be competent as a President.

The only times that polls mean anything in the summer is when one candidate just completely starts to lose it and a public perception is formed that can hardly be undone. Dukakis had something like a 15 point lead on Bush in '88, and that changed immediately. Nearly happened to Carter in '76 when he was ahead by 20% and only won by 2.

What the polls have told us in first third of this campaign is that both candidates are liked better than the current President is. And since neither candidate has made any real gains (Obama leads by 5 or 6, then it fluctuates down a bit, and then goes back up and so on) It looks like all we have to wait for is where much of the middle ground goes, which seems to consistently account for about 10 to 12% of the vote, and they won't be a factor until after the conventions are done in September. And since the conventions are so close this year, we probably won't see either candidate getting that much of a bounce. This is all coming down to the undecideds this year, and unless somebody really starts to mess up, we're likely to see another election decided within the margin of error. McCain still has work to do, especially in individual states, where the electoral college heavily favors Obama right now.

At this stage McCain's campaign appears to be selling the point of why Obama's is not fit to be president, rather than why he (McCain) is. It's almost like a negative campaign when you're not having a negative campaign. Personally, it would be better to elect someone President because they are the best person for the job; not because he was less-bad than his opponent.

daddio · #33 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve

Obama didn't agree to the town hall's because he's a chickenshit little bitch.

If he's "so much better" than McCain, then he shouldn't be concerned with giving McCain any "limelight" and, instead, should use them to finally destroy his opponent.

But, because he's a chickenshit little bitch, he won't do it.

He knows he's woefully unprepared for unscripted dialog, so he shuns it with a vengeance...

He couldn't put HRC away because of poor debate performances and endless gaffes. He failed to put McC away because he finally started talking specifics, started flipping on his positions to come into alignment with Bush of all things. And McC will destroy the great orator because hes can only read, not think.

daddio · #34 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by noahath

At this stage McCain's campaign appears to be selling the point of why Obama's is not fit to be president, rather than why he (McCain) is. It's almost like a negative campaign when you're not having a negative campaign. Personally, it would be better to elect someone President because they are the best person for the job; not because he was less-bad than his opponent.

if they are less bad does that not make them the best choice ?

daddio · #35 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by goober

It's a good strategy, Obama is going to have a more money to spend, so he's going to be able to dominate the media.
Doing town halls with McCain gives McCain free air time, and having Obama on the show would give it huge ratings, it would lessen the impact of Obama's fund raising edge.
Let McCain do his coffees and his rotary club luncheons, why give him that kind of exposure?

Why ? Fear of failure.

noahath · #36 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddio

if they are less bad does that not make them the best choice ?

Not necessarily. Wouldn't it be better to elect someone because they would make the best president, not because their opponent would not? In other words, he wouldn't be elected because voters had confidence in him, but because they had less confidence in his opponent. They may not have much confidence in McCain either (not saying people do or don't, just trying to speak generically as an example).

daddio · #37 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by noahath

Not necessarily. Wouldn't it be better to elect someone because they would make the best president, not because their opponent would not? In other words, he wouldn't be elected because voters had confidence in him, but because they had less confidence in his opponent. They may not have much confidence in McCain either (not saying people do or don't, just trying to speak generically as an example).

It would be nice I suppose, but the two party system has come as close as possible to seeing that there will only be two candidates. If your choice is binary its not likely that one will be entirely pleased with their pick.

Short of billionaire politicians willing to drop a big chunk of their personal wealth on it, you got the "R" or the "D".

aaronssongs · #38 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddio

He couldn't put HRC away because of poor debate performances and endless gaffes. He failed to put McC away because he finally started talking specifics, started flipping on his positions to come into alignment with Bush of all things. And McC will destroy the great orator because hes can only read, not think.

Boy, come November, you'll be eating them words...he will make toast of McCain in the debates. Psssst. He went to Harvard. They don't let dummies in there...

daddio · #39 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronssongs

Boy, come November, you'll be eating them words...he will make toast of McCain in the debates. Psssst. He went to Harvard. They don't let dummies in there...

didn't do so well with Alan Keyes

the bettors were unimpressed

Not much praise here either

he may read speaches well but he's a lackluster debater.

brentstark · #40 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

We'll see. Obama didn't impress me in his earliest debates, with his tendency to go on tangents and inability to say things simply. But he's looked better in recent interviews, which is a sign that he's getting better at improvisation and folksy-speak.

I think McCain's aids have to be worried about the 3 official debates coming up in the fall . . . Close-ups on McCain's face, questions that demand the ability to accurately recall loads of information . . . If McCain stumbles and if it is attributed to physical/mental deterioration it could sway a significant portion of undecideds.

CorpMediaSux · #41 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

I'm annoyed about the townhalls as well and I'm an Obama supporter. But I will say this. McCain had three extra months of general election organising than Obama did due to the long primary. He basically got not break and had to switch to general election mode immediately. It's kind of intense when you think about it. In that sense I understand the lack of time. But I'd wish he'd made time.

andy764383 · #42 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

It's kind of intense when you think about it. In that sense I understand the lack of time. But I'd wish he'd made time.

It's been around 60 days since the offer was extended. Saying there isn't time is a cop out because he doesn't want to face voters who don't pray at his feet.

CorpMediaSux · #43 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Andy all you have to do is watch the BHO townhalls he has on the economy. The guy is knowledgeable and could easily trounce McCain. This makes his not doing it all the more baffling. I think there's no way this guy can lose on the issues and since the media seems intent on talking about the "race card" and other such nonsense, he should use the townhall debate with McCain as a way to focus on the issues. I have to admit. I don't get it. But I suspect everyone will forget this once the actual debates roll around.

mabus · #44 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by soot

In a studied, scripted, antiseptic setting maybe.

Clearly though he (Obama) doesn't want to be put in a position where he'd be required to think on his feet or address questions and/or issues that Team Obama hasn't already brainstormed and spun into a focus-group-approved policy position sound bite.

McCain sucked basically in everything he did in front of the cameras. In front of a camera, McCain is no match for Obama. Just look at John McCain's body language, especially his mimics and his creepy fake smile. McCain can only handle a camera when he's authentic, but he teared down all bridges to the old McCain "long" ago.

goober · #45 (**permalink**) 08-03-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddio

Why ? Fear of failure.

Not fear of failure, strategic thinking.
He is going to get more media than McCain, because he can buy more, and because his organization can put together more events that the media will cover.

Town halls are 50-50, that helps McCain, just by getting him more media time.
It also puts McCain on the same stage as Obama, why should the next president share the stage with a mere Senator?
It also puts McCain in the position of the rejected supplicant, and demonstrates that Obama has the final word, Obama is leading the action.
As far as this Obama is chicken crap goes, that's how it plays to the hard right, in the middle it puts McCain in the same league as Barr and Nader, minor candidates who can't get on the stage with Obama.

The whole key to this election is the youth vote, Obama doesn't need to sway the youth vote, he needs to energize it, and get it to the polls.
That's all about the ground game, which has sucked for democrats in the past, but Obama's ground game has been next to flawless.
Town Halls buy him nothing in that department.
Appearances at campuses beginning in September are the key to that, which is why Obama won't have time for Town Halls.

Obama also has the option to agree to one or two Town Halls, if this plays against him. That takes the sting out of it, and it also limits McCain to one or two "All or Nothing" nights, where his temper might just flare up from the pressure, in a most unpresidential manner.

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