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Obama rejects McCain's proposal on "town hall" meetings
Xinhua News ^ | 2008-06-14

Posted on 06/13/2008 8:46:37 PM PDT by Red Steel

WASHINGTON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his Republican rival John McCain failed in reaching an agreement on Friday to hold ten "town hall"-style meetings where they are supposed to answer questions directly from a small audiences.

According to McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis, Obama's team only agreed to participate one town hall meeting before the Democratic national convention in late August.

The Arizona Senator suggested shortly after Obama clinched nomination last week to hold 10 joint town hall meetings with Obama at locations that both teams agree to, starting with the one in New York City on June 12.

Every meeting would involve an audience of about 200 to 400 people who are selected by an independent poll body, and last around 60 to 90 minutes, according to McCain's proposal.

Obama's team said at first that they accepted the suggestion on principle, but they preferred the meeting to be shorter and informal.

The Illinois senator told reporters on Tuesday that it's not realistic for him to attend 10 town hall meetings while doing other campaign activities.

His senior strategist David Plouffe said on Friday his candidate had offered to meet McCain five times between now and the election day in November instead, including three debates, a joint town hall on economy in July and an in-depth debate on foreign policy in August, which, however, was refused by McCain's team.

"That package of five engagements 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," Plouffe said.

"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," he added.

In response, McCain said during a news conference in Pemberton, New Jersey, he would leave it to American people to decide "which is the preferable proposal."


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; 2chicken4whitehouse; bisexual; chicken; debates; mccain; obama; pussy; townhalls
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1 posted on 06/13/2008 8:46:37 PM PDT by Red Steel
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To: Red Steel

Obama is doing his best to avoid the questions he does not want to answer.


2 posted on 06/13/2008 8:47:55 PM PDT by Red Steel
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To: Red Steel

He is a chicken!


3 posted on 06/13/2008 8:49:23 PM PDT by DarthVader (Liberal Democrats are the party of EVIL whose time of judgement has come.)
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To: Red Steel

Should the CEO of IBM condescend to meet with the McDonald’s janitor to discuss things?

Of course not, the janitor is uncouth, along with average Americans! The Obamao is the President already...


4 posted on 06/13/2008 8:51:21 PM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile/ The Obamao v Mad Jon, win the battle and lose the war..choice of evils be..)
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To: Red Steel
and last around 60 to 90 minutes, according to McCain's proposal.

Maybe McCain should have offered a few smoke breaks?


5 posted on 06/13/2008 8:51:29 PM PDT by OCC
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To: DarthVader

Chicken, chicken! Barack is a chicken. Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah!

He know he get he butt wupped wihout he telepromtuh.


6 posted on 06/13/2008 8:51:58 PM PDT by Right Wing Assault ("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
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To: Red Steel
Obama is a bully in his preferred setting. In a balanced setting amongst us plain ole people, he cowers because he is afraid of the questions that should be asked by the average person.
7 posted on 06/13/2008 8:52:32 PM PDT by jrooney (Obama's mentor says God Da*n America. That explains Obama's refusal to put his hand over his heart.)
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To: Red Steel

Yes, you are correct. He will avoid any forum that doesn’t include a teleprompter or scripted answers.


8 posted on 06/13/2008 8:52:39 PM PDT by doc1019 (I was taught to respect my elders, but it's getting harder to find one.)
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To: Red Steel
McCain should continue holding the ones he has planned and make a huge issue each time about Obama fails to show.

Couple it with his no shows in the Illinois and US Senate. He is showing that he is a no vote, which is something he can never do as President.

Fact is, Obama is afraid of these meetings. He is absolutely clueless and a flailing, babbling, stuttering bafoon when not in a wholly engineered and controlled environemnt, spouting others people's prepared words.

And that is why he refuses to attend these meetings.

<
THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

9 posted on 06/13/2008 8:53:47 PM PDT by Jeff Head (Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
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To: Right Wing Assault

10 posted on 06/13/2008 8:54:17 PM PDT by txhurl (:0)
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To: Red Steel

So he’ll talk unconditionally with Iran but he won’t debate John McCain?


11 posted on 06/13/2008 8:54:54 PM PDT by boycott
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To: Red Steel
McCain stacked his event and lied to FoxNews about it being open to all which prompted Shep to say afterwards.
SMITH: "I reported at the top of this hour that the campaign had told us at Fox News that the audience would be made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We have now received a clarification from the campaign and I feel I should pass it along to you. The McCain campaign distributed tickets to supporters, Mayor Bloomberg, who of course is a registered Republican, and other independent groups."
I'm all for town hall meetings but they need to be fair. We can beat Obama on the issues and don't need to try to pull a fast one behind the scenes.
12 posted on 06/13/2008 8:55:14 PM PDT by Taking Congress back in 2010
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To: txflake

And he’s a red one, too!


13 posted on 06/13/2008 8:55:44 PM PDT by Right Wing Assault ("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
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To: Red Steel

Either he knows his limitations ie; a loser without the teleprompter, or his handlers do. He wouldn’t do well debating my Horse much less McCain on the real issues should real issues be placed for their debate.


14 posted on 06/13/2008 8:56:11 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists...call 'em what you will...They ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: Red Steel
How about a town hall on foreign policy? Obama wouldn't dare. I personally would love to see a town hall on terrorism. Obama's handlers would NEVER let that happen. Terrorism is the issue of our time, and is by the way one of the few issues that the President can actually do something about. The issue of terrorism needs to be front and center.

BTW, Obama without a teleprompter is downright inarticulate.

Obama the Eloquent

Obama the Eloquent Part Deux

Obama the Master of Diplomacy

15 posted on 06/13/2008 8:57:02 PM PDT by T. Buzzard Trueblood ("a wee bit silly." -Lord Trimble on Hillary Clinton's claim of foreign policy "experience".)
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To: Red Steel; devolve

McCain is not the best speaker but I think Obama would seem like a child up against McCain. He speaks well but it’s words that have no real substance.

Direct questions from the audience would be great “IF” they were not ‘plants’.


16 posted on 06/13/2008 8:58:10 PM PDT by potlatch (MICHELLE OBAMA - The gift that just keeps on giving....!)
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To: Red Steel

Obama is a chicken, Obama is a chicken, Obama is a chicken.


17 posted on 06/13/2008 8:59:02 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: OCC

We don’t need a president who smokes. Yuckity, yuck.


18 posted on 06/13/2008 9:00:05 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Right Wing Assault

Baraaaack! bok bok bok bok. Barackk bok bok bok. Bok bok bok.


19 posted on 06/13/2008 9:00:44 PM PDT by txhurl (:0)
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To: Salvation

Did you know Laura Bush smokes?


20 posted on 06/13/2008 9:02:40 PM PDT by goodnesswins (Obama will bring us......CommieLot)
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