McCain challenges Obama to join him in 10 town hall meetings

Already, what a joke. McCain can't even remember what he did or didn't do. Or as I call it, selective amnesia.

Obama 08

Without a script in front of him, obama is a less than average speaker.

Will teleprompters be allowed? Otherwise, people watching these townhall meetings will only hear obama saying, "uummmm ..... uhhhhh ...... uummmm."

RR

McCain challenges Obama to join him in 10 town hall meetings

Yes, please. If Sen. McCain wants to give the presidency to Sen. Obama, I support his efforts. Yes Senator, let's have LOTS of debates.

Taka

Romeo - you must have missed it - Obama read pretty much his entire victory speech - all 29 minutes of it - without looking at the telepromter.

Far better than John McBush can do.

McCain must have been asleep during the past 6 months.

If he wants a debate with Obama, Obama is going to slam him so hard he won't remember whether he voted for or against George Bush's tax cuts.....

Yes, let's have lots of debate. Obama is fine with a teleprompter in front of him. In debate with Hillary though he hardly impressed. His 'finest' speech - the one on race - was all for nothing. He did disown his pastor - voice of his conscience,bwahahahaha - and then he chucked his entire neo-segregationist church under the bus. Since he can't run on his non-existent leadership abilities his handlers tell the MTV kiddies and the American Idol generation it's his superior judgement we need. Whatta laugh.

"Without a script in front of him, obama is a less than average speaker.

Will teleprompters be allowed? Otherwise, people watching these townhall meetings will only hear obama saying, "uummmm ..... uhhhhh ...... uummmm.""

This. Obama can give a damn good speech, but I can't understand why everyone thinks he is such a great speaker. When he's not in "speech" mode he can be painful to listen to at times.

"Obama is going to slam him so hard"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

We're assuming that McCain will even be able to find the right hall....before he goes all red in the face and vehemently denies he even called the meeting before his campaign manager contradicts him.

Looking forward to it! :-)

McCain....he's not young you know......

susisake3:"McCain....he's not young you know..."

There it is again.

USA! USA! USA!

supa elegate - "There it is again. USA! USA! USA!'

Great to see you're practicing for when Obama becomes president - keep it up! Your Country Needs You :-)

I agree with Sushi that old people should be met with criticism and disdain, if we even acknowledge them at all.

I'm looking forward to the debates. I think the Obama camp is painting McCain as far right and the McCain camp is painting Obama as far left. After the debate they'll both look more moderate than the other side will admit. Then the real fun will start. ;)

superlib: you are right. Obama has voted with the Bush admin far much more than what many realize.

Obama will smash McCain if New York is in NYC. But, I think McCain would have the upper hand in the border states. I have no idea about the bible states.

McCain was going to choose a defibrillator as his VP, but they won't let anything into Washington that doesn't fib.

SupaLib - "I agree with Sushi that old people should be met with criticism and disdain, if we even acknowledge them at all."

ha ha, nice try. Bt Sen. McCain isn't just any old guy.

Should he - to the delight of terrorists worldwide - be voted president, he will be an 'old guy in charge of a very large nuclear arsenal."

If that doesn't scare you, you need to keep yourself better updated with the news.

McCain....he's not young you know

Notice how the obama cult likes to insult large groups of people. They did it with people who live in rural American communities and they're constantly doing it to the entire white race. Now, they're doing it to the older generation.

How obama can preach "unity" with a straight face?

RR

McCain is bound to nod off in the debates.

Heh, I sense further Panic in the air from certain corners.

"Notice how the obama cult likes to insult large groups of people"

Well, I don't mean to disrespect old people or their un-doubtable experience, but 72 years old is simply past its' sell by date IMO.

Oh, and Ramen,

"How obama can preach "unity" with a straight face?"

What worked for Sarkozy will work for Senator Obama.

"Should he - to the delight of terrorists worldwide - be voted president, he will be an 'old guy in charge of a very large nuclear arsenal."

Yeah susisake, that one's about as logical and convincing as your desperate 'terrorist - hugging Republicans' stab at an insult. Keep flailing, matey.

Wasn't Regan the oldest president? It seemed everyone was scared of us then. Even Iran gave back the hostages after a year of holding them under Jimmmy C.

super-d,

"Keep flailing, matey."

Heh - there isn't a cliff high enough for the fidel Lemmings this time around.

Skip,

"It seemed everyone was scared of us then."

The geezer said on inernational television "I believe in armageddon". Reagan was as dumb as dubya, only at least he had charisma.

In fact, super-delegate's comments of "that one's about as logical and convincing as your desperate 'terrorist - hugging Republicans' stab at an insult" go a long way to highliting the change we are about to see once Obama is elected president.

Back when the republicans were flat-out fear mongering and seizing more power on the back of 9-11 when Junior's poor apporval ratings shot through the roof, anyone dissenting the so-called war on terror was shrieked down as "leftist lovers of islamofacism" and "terrorist huggers" by the extreme right...

...Now the extreme left is using the same tactics against the dregs of the opposite end.

How the tables have turned in 7 short years.

but 72 years old is simply past its' sell by date IMO.

verts, how old was Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill when he was your country's PM during World War II and then again between 1951 - '55?

If obama cannot control his own cult, how can he be expected to lead an entire nation?

RR

"How the tables have turned in 7 short years."

You can say that again. Only "liberals" could nominate a candidate who is close friends with known and unrepentant terrorists like Bill Ayers and who could get away with pleading he was clueless that the 'church' he attended for 20 years featured 'sermons' denouncing America as the greatest sin against God and was devoted to neo-segregationist racist clowns like the "Reverend" Louis Farrakhan.

Also, only "liberals" can award delegates to a candidate who voluntarily withdrew his name from a state caucus.

So much for the democrats' 2000 mantra, "every vote counts".

RR

ramen,

That's comparing horseshoe's and hand grenades ;)

super-d,

What I meant was you yourself, y'know, when you were "him" was posting the very same sort of comments you're now shrieking at sushi for doing.

As I already told you on the other thread - they have a word for that kind of attitude.

ramen,

"So much for the democrats' 2000 mantra, "every vote counts"."

Heh, kinda speaks for itself, dunnit?

Go Obama!!

RomeoRamen - "Notice how the obama cult likes to insult large groups of people. They did it with people who live in rural American communities and they're constantly doing it to the entire white race. Now, they're doing it to the older generation."

That, Ladies and Gents, has all the hallmarks of a Very Panicked Republican.

It's got words like 'cult', 'insult', it mentions people who probably can't fight back ('people who live in rural American communities') and to top it all off, there's broad brush fantasy generalizations ('and they're constantly doing it to the entire white race.')

I've got to hand it to you Ramen, that's a classic!

SushiSake - "Should he - to the delight of terrorists worldwide - be voted president, he will be an 'old guy in charge of a very large nuclear arsenal."

Super delegate - "Yeah susisake, that one's about as logical and convincing as your desperate 'terrorist - hugging Republicans' stab at an insult."

If you haven't got it by now, there's no hope for you. Bush's invasion of Iraq has created and fuelled terrorism, and led to more people joining up to the extremist cause.

Sen. McCain wants more of the same.

Put 1 and 1 together...... do you get it yet?

Susisake can't get enough! He is researching rural community life in the Nifty Fifty that he might better understand RR's posts and - here I must doff my hat - unlike American "liberals" such as taka he capitalizes the party name of his opponents here.

USA! USA! USA!

super delegate - "Only "liberals" could nominate a candidate who is close friends with known and unrepentant terrorists like Bill Ayers and who could get away with pleading he was clueless that the 'church' he attended for 20 years featured 'sermons' denouncing America as the greatest sin against God and was devoted to neo-segregationist racist clowns like the "Reverend" Louis Farrakhan."

Only a critically desperate Republican could actually think any of the above is important to how a CinC runs a country, manages the economy or battles threats like climate change and terrorism.

And only a truly desperate Republican could conveniently overlook the onrushing senility of the the candidate on the Right who was the bottom of the barrel Republican pick.

Madverts - "What I meant was you yourself, y'know, when you were "him" was posting the very same sort of comments you're now shrieking at sushi for doing."

I think what you're saying is that the Republican Extremists have become the people they hated without even having a clue it's happened?

There's got to be some sort of award we can give them, but I just can't think what it would be called???!! :-)

Super delegate - "here I must doff my hat - unlike American "liberals" such as taka he capitalizes the party name of his opponents here."

Thanks! I try my best :-)

Yeoowww!! I just had a horror image come into my head.... - of the 2008 Republican Shriekfest - aka - the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-Saint Paul - where John McCain gets completely overrun by 'young at heart' '70-something' Bliue Rinse Brigade darlings all eager to touch him so they would have something to chat about over coffee and biscuits at the retirement village.

I gotta say.... Sushi's words validate Ramen's...

Travel by yourseld Barack. Don't travel with John McCain. Take the debates and eat McCain alive. < :-)

Town Hall meetings, hope they do it. I'd like to know what Obama is really all about and if McCain still has the straight talk that should have had him nominated in 2000 instead of Bush.

Going to be interesting, also hope that posters here could also tell me what Obama really stands for besides some slogan of 'change' that so far to me means nothing since the guy has no real record of it in running a company, State, law firm or anything that I can look at to base a decision if he worthy of my support or vote.

He talks nice but that is it so far to me.

Hmmmmm....I'm wondering what Sen. McCain stands for besides running on a "military honor" platform after crashing about 4 aircraft and spending 6 years sitting in a POW camp, getting in on the coattails of his U.S. Navy admiral dad and granddad, voting for then against Bush's tax cuts, then his blatant pandering on the idea of a gas tax holiday.

I think he need a little more substance than that to be a credible candidate

Bottom line for me with McCain is he wants the U.S. to remain in Iraq until "victory" is achieved.

Biggest problem here is that Sen. McCain has not, will not and can not articulate what that "victory" is, what it might look like, and when it might be achieved.

That to me means he is just like the current President - who has no real strategy.

If that doesn't set your alarm bells ringing, there's a real problem.

Romeo - "His opinion doesn't matter."

I see the 'America is superior' attitude coming out again.... that's partly what gets your country into so much trouble.

It's a pity you don't seem to understand that either..

Sometimes you need to lose a fight to understand the value of humility, and tonight, my friend, you lost the fight.

SushiSake3 - "I think he ( needs ) a little more substance than that to be a credible candidate"

I'll pass on your opinion to the man, whose jockstrap some posters here, who will remain nameless, couldn't carry.

sailwind -- True. obama's a good speaker as long as he has a script in front of him. But watching him on the talk shows and away from a teleprompter his answers are always laced with "ummms" and "uhhhs".

He spent all of 143 days (voting "present" 137 times during that period) in the U.S. Senate before announcing his candidacy for president.

Today, he called Iran a grave threat when a few weeks ago he said it was no threat. Talk about eating his waffle. More importantly, he railed against hillary for making the same claim about the danger of Iran to the Western world.

obama tore a page out of hillary's playbook and is now calling it his own. He is a fraud.

RR

Sarge - "I'll pass on your opinion to the man, whose jockstrap some posters here, who will remain nameless, couldn't carry."

I don't think many would want to, but that's beside the point.

I seem to remember you were highly critical of John Kerry.

So, it's OK to bash John Kerry but it's sacrilige to bash McCain?

When they were both in the same war?

Is that your strategy?

If so, it's pretty shoddy. I have to say.

Romeo - "Today, he called Iran a grave threat"

Care to mention which lobby group Obama was addressing?

I know. I just want to check whether you are up to speed with events.

SushiSake3 - Your opinions about the U.S. have never mattered in the past. Why should they now? Your envy of us Americans is obvious.

You bray at length about how obama now leaves you "excited", but this time last year you were saying that hillary was destined to become our next president. As I wrote, your opinion doesn't matter.

RR

<strong>Moderator: Please do not be impolite to other readers.</strong>

" I just had a horror image come into my head.... - of the 2008 Republican Shriekfest - aka - the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-Saint Paul "

Sugoi! Susisake is already imagining how the Republican convention will turn out.And he even knows it's in Minneapolis-St Paul this year.

USA! USA! USA! USA!

Romeo - "Your opinions about the U.S. have never mattered in the past. Why should they now?" - there's that arrogance again.

"Your envy of us Americans is obvious."

LOL! You think I'm envious of how badly people like you were conned and conned again by the current President?

Dreams are free.

"but this time last year you were saying that hillary was destined to become our next president."

Thst's right. Is it sensible to "stay the course" when all the signs around you say to change?

I sure hope you're not running a business of any sort.

RomeoRamen,

You're right that age is not in itself a disqualifier. However, it is a point of concern and for a President who is popularly elected I believe that it will be a greater concern than one that arises from a Parliamentary process.

Churchill was a party leader in a majority party and was not chosen to lead by popular vote. He was caucused into power. Setting aside for the moment that Republicans are not now the majority party and are unlikely to be after the election, you have to ask yourself if the Republican legislators would choose McCain to be their leader. They haven't yet done so to the best of my knowledge.

That being said, Town Hall meetings are a great idea. If McCain can show himself to be more vital and more on top of the game than Obama the country itself will come away a winner if McCain wins the general election. However, if Obama shows himself to be the better choice, the US comes away a loser if it cannot then put him into office.

SushiSake3 - McCain and Kerry were in the same war, but that's where the similarities end concerning their service. And when McCain got out of the service, he didn't trash his fellow servicemen for political gain like Kerry did.

Sez - " Setting aside for the moment that Republicans are not now the majority party and are unlikely to be after the election, you have to ask yourself if the Republican legislators would choose McCain to be their leader."

I think Sen. McCain was the Republicans 4th choice?

"Churchill was a party leader in a majority party and was not chosen to lead by popular vote. He was caucused into power."

[...]

"However, if Obama shows himself to be the better choice, the US comes away a loser if it cannot then put him into office."

Ridiculous. A great speaker does not make a great leader. I think it's safe to say that Churchill - who was both - would have agreed.

"I think Sen. McCain was the Republicans 4th choice?"

He was?

I didn't know that!

Paradoxically, the more Republicans who come on this board to debate, the easier it gets :-)

Sez,

"you have to ask yourself if the Republican legislators would choose McCain to be their leader."

I think they have chosen to present an expendible candidate in light of Bush Co's disaterous tenure. The GOP are setting their sights on 2012, hoping to attack the democrats for failing to sort out the mess the Republicans made prior...

Of course Obama will not accept because these forums give the advantage to McCain. Scripted speeches favor Obama as he is much more eloquent and charismatic with prepared material. In a forum where peole ask unscripted questions McCain who thinks better on his feet is favored.

super_delegate,

A great speaker does not make a great leader. Nor does a poor reader make a good debater.

Super delegate - "A great speaker does not make a great leader. I think it's safe to say that Churchill - who was both - would have agreed."

Winston Churchill had a stutter and was very good at hiding it.

You probably missed that, too.....

"A great speaker does not make a great leader"

Neither does a very poor speaker, as we've seen.

SushiSake3:

Romeo - you must have missed it - Obama read pretty much his entire victory speech - all 29 minutes of it - without looking at the telepromter.

That -and his 3 years of non-votes as a freshman Senator- qualifies him to lead the U.S.? Back in 2000, you weren't complaining about the "inexperience" a certain two-term governor of a state bordering a foreign nation, were you?

skipthesong:

Obama has voted with the Bush admin far much more than what many realize.

Really? Name the votes.

There's a reason Obama has the most left-wing voting record in the Senate. When he voted, and when voted something other than "present", that is.

Madverts:

Well, I don't mean to disrespect old people or their un-doubtable experience, but 72 years old is simply past its' sell by date IMO.

You haven't met my dad. He's 72 and true, he isn't running for president, but he should.

Madverts:

Reagan was as dumb as dubya, only at least he had charisma.

You should try reading Reagan's books. Not the ones written about him, but the ones containing letters he wrote to politicians and everyday Americans. Then you'll embarrassed you posted that.

And now, to finally address the original thread topic...

I think this is a solid move for McCain. Those who live by stereotypes can harp about his age all they want, but while Obama has proven himself able to say nothing in a prepared speech better than anybody in the history of politics, when he's faced with unscripted questions in the need of unscripted answers, he falls on his face. That's what happens when you have no substance and can't expose your core beliefs to the mainstream public.

As you know, verts, I'll be casting my vote for Mr. McCain. Was he my first choice? No. The guy I wanted for the job dropped out of the race. But I'll be voting for Mr. McCain not because of party lines but because his opponent is a guy who, if he were applying for a U.S. government GS-4 job, wouldn't pass the initial security background check.

RR

" Mr. McCain has hinted that he'd only be a one-term president."

Isn't that a little pointless?

Perhaps these hints are a nod to the concerns over his age afterall. Have other candidates ever presented themselves in the history of the US with what seems to me, a defeatist attitude of just serving one term?

verts,

Didn't LBJ saying the same thing in 1967?

RR

read that say

RR

I think the radical left and the radical right get in a flap when Obama speaks.

The rest of us just listen and analize....

I'm not sure this conversation got to where it did but I think that the idea of a series of small debates is a great idea and I hope they do it. Those "big TV" debates are boring and scripted to the point that I don't watch them much. The sound bites on the news are just editorialized pablum. A real exchange without prepared questions would be delightful.

if he were applying for a U.S. government GS-4 job, wouldn't pass the initial security background check.

I love it. Elections seem to bring out the best in some people. It also brings out the hate mongering, lies, inuendoes and far reaching imaginations from others.

I've been waiting for the democratic nominee to be selected. It gives people on the far right something to do and a purpose to their lives.

I can't wait till the debates start between Obama and McCain. < :-)

I see the 'America is superior' attitude coming out again.... that's partly what gets your country into so much trouble.

Nowadays when foreigners start talking about their country I brush it aside and tell them that their country is irrelevant. Instead we talk about what it means to be a patriotic American and their desire to show solidarity with real Americans. Naturally we discuss Obama vs. McCain since it takes priority over any elections in their home country. When discussing Iraq I'm careful to remind them that their decisions should always make US soldiers their top priority.

Did you have a problem with that?

Certainly Mcain's should be comfortable with the free-wheeling format after the months he's logged on the Straigh Talk Express. Obama and/or his campaign seem to prefer a more stage-managed presence. In any case, McCain is right to want to try to find ways to mix things up - he's trailing - and try to influence the conditions under which he and Obama debate. Obama risks looking bad if he declines and getting caught in a a conservative/defensive posture where he's trying to avoid making mistakes. I think that hurt HRC early in her primary campaign.

WhiteHawk:

That and his 3 years of non-votes as a freshman Senator qualifies him to lead the U.S.?

LOL!! Who missed the MOST votes? John McCain. According to the Washington Post's congressional votes database: "As of today, Obama has missed slightly fewer than 40 percent of his Senate votes since the beginning of 2007, while Clinton’s absentee rate is just under 30 percent. But McCain has topped both candidates, missing a staggering 58 percent of his votes during the 110th Congress..."

Yes, folks, a staggering 58 percent. Must be hell living in that glass house.

Back in 2000, you weren't complaining about the "inexperience" a certain two-term governor of a state bordering a foreign nation, were you?

Now that's a hoot. The Texas governorship is largely a ceremonial position. The real power is in the legislature, and they only meet for a few months EVERY OTHER year. Gee, sounds like a job little George could handle. (He sure didn't do well in the oil business.)

Sushi - "Biggest problem here is that Sen. McCain has not, will not and can not articulate what that "victory" is, what it might look like, and when it might be achieved"

I know what you mean. It's not like he put a blurb on his public website that defines victory in that arena. Oh, wait a minute. HE DID. Right under ISSUES / IRAQ:

"The best way to secure long-term peace and security is to establish a stable, prosperous, and democratic state in Iraq that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. When Iraqi forces can safeguard their own country, American troops can return home."

Let's see... Stable, prosperious and democratic state. Poses no threat. Iraqi forces, both military and police, can safeguard their own country. THEN our troops can return home. Stable Government. Ability to provide security for their citizens.

Anything else you'd like him to define? He spills it all out on his very public website. It's not a secret...

Yabits, I felt that beat down through the internets tubes!

Taka

So McCain missed 58% of his Senate votes! LOL! Well, at least he's voted with the Democrat Party only 11.7% of the time, while Obama's voted with the Democrat Party a staggering 96.5% of the time! xD

I say "Why not?" Why not meet and debate civilly in front of people at town hall style meetings and locations? It can only help both of them to be seen as personable in such a way....

yabits:

LOL!! Who missed the MOST votes? John McCain.

While I'm not the biggest McCain fan, I will say in his defense that he's had more than one term as Senator (He took office in 1987. Since you've got the figures handy, what's his overall percentage? And how many of Obama's votes were merely voting "present"?), and he has more background and experience than just being a Senator. For Obama, that's all he has. Nothing else. No service history, no private sector experience, no executive experience (more on that in a moment), nothing but hope and change. Change he still refuses to define.

The Texas governorship is largely a ceremonial position.

Really? You've been a state governor, then? You obviously haven't even paid much attention to governors. Or maybe you consider the Texas governship largely ceremonial, but the Arkansas governorship vital (except when connected to banking and real estate scandals)?

Seriously, you've just floored me with that claim. The audacity is staggering.

Really? You've been a state governor, then? You obviously haven't even paid much attention to governors.

No, WhiteHawk, it is you who are displaying ignorance here. As governors go, Texas' one is less powerful by design than most of the other states. Simple research would reveal that to you. You can start at the link below:

http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=187648

That way, you won't be floored when someone presents you with basic facts. It is only audacious because it's hot air from folks like you that have supplied "ex-fighter-jock" (LOL!) GWB with most of his lift.

but the Arkansas governorship vital

The Arkansas governor is only marginally more powerful than Texas, and both states still only meet for work every other year for 60 to 90 days. You want to present the governor of Texas like he or she is some CEO when, in fact, it's largely a figurehead position.

No service history, no private sector experience, no executive experience (more on that in a moment), nothing but hope and change.

McCain doesn't have private sector experience either. And I wouldn't go tooting the horn on Bush's private sector failures. McCain has been on the government dole all of his life. However, lobbyists seem to like him.

I put a lot of stock in intelligence, wisdom, competence, and the genuine desire to serve the public. Obama has just won a masterful campaign against an opponent who was heavily favored when the thing started. He's attracted a ton of money in small donations, and that's not chopped liver. McCain's higly unwise little "bomb bomb Iran" ditty disqualifies him in my book from any position where tact and diplomacy are required.