Obama, McCain Reject ABC Offer Of Town Hall Debate
By Logan Murphy Sunday Jun 08, 2008 1:00pm
Senator John McCain left himself wide open for criticism after trying to upstage Barack Obama's victory speech last Tuesday, but gave a horrible, boring speech that was widely panned by most everyone in the political world. McCain is admittedly more comfortable in the town hall style venues and has challenged Obama to ten of them between now and November. After the tabloid style, RNC framed sham of a debate ABC foisted upon the Democratic candidates and the American electorate, Senator Obama should make them sweat a little. More from The Raw Story:
John McCain and Barack Obama rejected an offer Sunday from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ABC News to host the first proposed presidential town hall because they do not want it limited to one television network.
McCain, the likely Republican nominee, last week asked his Democratic counterpart to join him for 10 meetings in the coming months, and campaign managers for both sides said they had agreed in spirit to schedule some type of joint appearances.
But the campaigns rejected a formal offer outlined in a letter from Bloomberg and ABC News on Sunday that envisioned kicking off the town hall series with a 90-minute, prime-time broadcast from New York. The campaigns said the candidates want the meetings open for broadcast on all television networks or on the Internet, rather than be sponsored by a single network or news organization. Read on...
Login or Register to post comments.
The mass media now gets what it deserves.
Good. After what Charlie and George did to Obama during that last so-called Democratic "debate" - using Sean Hannity's talking points as "questions" - he should never go near them again.
fuck abc
Obama is the most powerful presence in America. I don't see the point of engaging McCain with the usual crap formats of the MSM.
I thought that Gore and Kerry both won hands down, but America voted for Bush both times.
Obama could better spend his time turning up the heat (behind the scenes of course) on Pelosi and Ried to start impeachment proceedings.
Bush et al will strike Iran soon, and watch the MSM lead the gullible to support it. Obama really needs to shut these guys down NOW!
Dear Barack Obama's Campaign,
Don't let "The Cryptkeeper" get a free ride by appearing with Obama in a bid to look more presidential. Don't let McCain frame the debates.
Thanks,
The Carpenter
Okay, take a note. McCain's campaign staff has done something right. This makes a total of one thing so far.
Good for both campaigns.
That speech McCain gave last Tuesday night looked like he was trying to swift boat himself.
Wow... even McCain turned down ABC. I guess the ABC Dem "debate" was that bad.
ABC Moderator question for McCain: "Mr McCain, when you were shot down while defending America how often did you reflect upon your love for this nation while in that POW camp?"
ABC Modrator question for Obama: "Senator Obama, does your ant-American positions come from identifying more with your angry black half or more from your liberal values?"
I can't understand why McCain would ever want to stand next to Obama for longer than he has to. Juxtaposed next to the youth and intelligence of Obama, McCain looks like your old uncle Chester--- you know, the guy who has ridiculous political views and drools on himself?
6'1 Obama v 5'7 McCain. New v old. Progressive Intelligence v stubborn conservatism. Good ideas v bad ideas. You name it.
All at a time when people are dying for change?
This election is going to be a landslide for Obama.
ABC isn't good for sh*t.
Charlie Gibson is a meathead.
QuakerDave @ 2:
Exactly. After that awful "Georgie and Charly show" on ABC, Obama would be better off going on FOX wearing Muslim garb, smoking a crack pipe, and call everyone "whitey".
I believe that McCain thinks he can get Senator Obama on stage in one of these town hall meetings and make Senator Obama look bad and inexperienced. McCain is in for a big bad surprise. His maniacal laughs and grins and lame jokes are going to make him look old and foolish. Does he really want to try that against such a classy smart guy as Senator Obama?
i personally would really like to see a debate format using youtube........there is plenty of mccain flip-flop material
The Bulldog Manifesto @ 9:
Now THERE's a bumper sticker: " After 8 years of Bush people are DYING for change"
Not apropos to this post, but I'm seeing a real McCain banner ad in the right column...
What a great venue to pump his advertising dollars!
call me extreme, but until they change the basic format, structure, tone and scope of debates they are all but pointless.
they don't help people make better decisions (see, bush43), they don't address the REAL issues (see, corporate dominance), they only serve to provide revenue to the corporate entity that broadcasts them. and, on top of all that, they are undemocratic.
what they do do, is to create the illusion of openness and transparency, and to make it seem like our incredibly long litany of dire issues can be summed up in 30 seconds, or by a simple show of hands.
McCain's speech last week will go down in history as his Jell-O speech. No candidate in the future will have a lime green backdrop for any speech.
F*ck ABC and their slime-ball debate format. Also, there is no reason to give McSame free airtime prior to the real debates later this year.
Now if the debate was hosted by NPR, Bill Moyer, or The League of Women Voters (aka someone with more credibility than Fox or ABC), that would be a different story.
Good.
We also reject that McCain blocked 97% of the documents pertaining to Jack Abramoff hearings.
oh good...
today were learning more
"Committee report on White House contacts with Jack Abramoff that concludes that Mr. Abramoff had personal contact with President Bush, .. and his associates influenced some White House actions."
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1996
good.. we are learning more..
House Panel: Bush Admin Loves Abramoff
Abramoff Met Rove on Streetcorners
NYT: Abramoff Got Rove NCAA Tickets
Rove Aide Resigns Over Abramoff Ties
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cgi-bin/mt-current/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlo...
They always say...The cover-up is always worse than the crime.
That would be... The McCain/Bush Corruption Cover-Up that is.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/8/222648/0915/57/433195
With the summer debates fast approaching, one wonders if the Democrats and the Republicans will collude with the television executives [as they did in 2000 with Ralph Nader], to make sure that a third party candidate is once again barred from being seen and heard by the American people. This is similar to Orwell's novel Animal Farm- two legs good, four legs bad. In this case, any voice will be allowed in the public forum this summer on television as as that person is either a Democrat or a Republican. So much for democracy being alive and well in the land of the free.
Correction to comment #20. The penultimate sentence should read "... as long as that person is either a Democrat or a Republican."
Erroll @ 20:
Fine with me if Bob Barr joins them up on the stage.
after the last piece-of-shit 'debate', these scumbuckets have the nerve to ask for another opportunity for another ambush-fest filled with ignorant, pointless, issue-free sniping?
oh yeah! where do I sign up!
BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!
The idea of a town meeting isn't bad, but let the League of Women Voters or PBS run the thing. ABC has shown they don't have the integrity to handle it.
pissed off patricia @ 22:
Fine with me if Ron Paul joins them up on the stage, also.
Batocchio @ 24:
I'm not so sure about PBS, but the League of Women Voters is a great place to go back to.
Would Gibson and Stephanopolis have moderated?
Gee thanks abc, but no thanks. The next time we want to see a slanted, bullshit story, about something we could care less about, by someone who has the integrity of a sack full of weasels, by a network who is willing to lie and twist anything for their own greedy self gain, we will call you. Mean while lets see you twist this into something positive for your next broadcast , from the citizens you are supposed to be serving, eat some shit and die.-CEO
Damn right. Stop letting the networks think that the election season is about them and their profit margins.
how about a blogger organized debate where WE get to ask questions from the left and right?
q: Senator McCain, why did you turn your back on the people of New Orleans?
Why did you divorce your wife to marry an heiress?
What was up with the savings and loan debacle?
Why do people call you a maverick when you have been a Bushdog since he smacked you down in 2000?
q: Senator Obama, why do you support Ethanol production when it is obviously a loser?
Why have you voted for funding the Iraq war when it is So wrong?
What is wrong with a single payer health care system?
How far are you willing to go to break up the huge media trusts?
How far are you willing to go to get us off oil for good?
BaScOmBe against Bitter Elitist Appeasement Bullshit @ 25:
well, if you include the 'government is your enemy' and 'markets = democracy' folks you'll need to buffer that with nader.
Bud "Terrorist Fist Jab" Hussein @ 10:
No, that's:
http://steelturman.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/meathead.JPG
BaScOmBe against Bitter Elitist Appeasement Bullshit @ 25:
I'm with you two.....let Barr and Paul tear down the neocon philosophy to the american....bush and mccain aren't republicans they extreme right neocons...right mccain is doing right to center routine and many will fall for it. That's why they denied Paul during the primaries because he make mccain look like a fool. You noticed the media helped the other republicans smear Paul it was a disgrace.
BaScOmBe against Bitter Elitist Appeasement Bullshit @ 25:
Yep, bring in the whole crew and have only one topic per debate. One time the economy, one time the war, one time health care, etc. That way we could learn more about each candidate's views than just a 30 second sentence or two.
This is a no-brainer. After the last ABC debacle, both Obama and McSame are right.
even as democrats we should demand barr and paul be in the debates......i'm sure it's more complicated than that but the net result would a plus for dems....especially if mccain continues to use the war as his theme....mccain and bush are neocons who spend and get involved in nation building.....they don't care about the constitution.."just a piece of paper"
Forget about ABC...
Their last debate was a joke..it was a trap to corner Obama that night.
Thank God that American people saw what ABC (Gibson and Georgie) tried to do that night.
They still have the nerve to ask Obama for what they call 'town hall' debate, then they will plant questioners to ask questions about 'flag pins' again...or may be about Pastor Wright...then they'll try to play neutral.
Obama campaign should not victimise themselves twice by the same network.
Tell ABC: "We are sorry, we know who you are ..."
karl @ 36:
what about nader? he is running too....
I beginning to see the MSM with it tentacles reaching into Government and Politics has done more damage then even the lunks Robertson and Falwell could do.
It's probably time to start thinking about,
Separation of MSM and State
McCain's chief surrogate, Senator Lindsey Graham, did not adhere to that message during his appearance on ABC's This Week, with George Stephanopoulos.
Stephanopoulos asked Sen. Graham if McCain's policies are essentially "an extension or maybe an enhancement of the Bush policies." Sen. Graham answered, "Yeah, absolutely."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/08/senator-graham-mccains-po_n_105...
Ten rounds of McCain up close and personal going head to head with Obama. Yeah that's the ticket. He'll be lucky to get through one before his handlers decide that it's actually the Fox Network where he really shines and unless Obama is a coward he'll have to debate him there.
How about having a REAL DEBATE instead of a photo op or a collection of sound bites? Obama went to Harvard Law and McW went to...well, he graduated (barely) from USNA.
Samson- @ 38:
i believe he is running but he may not have the support he needs to advance to debates.....but i really don't know...he'll differ from everyone...old news
What the MSM is trying to do here (again) is control the debates, and the CONTENT-MESSAGE of them.
Screw ALL the teevee networks. The debates should be broadcast on C-SPAN, perhaps PBS.
take the debates to c-span
karl @ 46:
CSpan, The American Enterprise Institute channel
karl @ 43:
your logic is biased
Dr. Acula @ 45:
PBS won't happen they do journalism.......can't have that...alright maybe PBS does lean to the left a bit
Samson- @ 48:
i don't mean it to be i really don't care if nader is in debates or not....i'm just saying the system will probably keep him out
the questions on a debate should be asked by a cross section of regular americans. no media people. that's the only way i will ever watch.
Dr. Acula @ 45:
I think they should take the debates to the USA network, and have them coincide with WWE smackdown. Then again, McCain in a leotard and slathered in body oil sounds like a bad idea.
I already cannot stand looking at McSame, he actually acts (and looks) like a GOP robot.
His dial is set on "Stay the course".
Charm City @ 53:
Are you implying that the dial has more than one setting?
My friends,
I offer a change we can use.
I call it the "Old Deal".
John McCain
No way would I trust any of the networks to conduct the debates, not after the shabby way they treated anybody they considered to be threats to the corporate take over of America and the intended rape of the Constitution. The MSM utterly manipulated the entire campaign/debate process and, whilst doing so, dictated what would or wouldn't be the national dialog and what topics would be forbidden areas of discussion.
Though I'm sure it's completely by accident, McCain may have come up with a strategy that would well serve both Obama and the voting public. If the debates are conducted in a town meeting format, the media will be forced to report on the events instead of direct and control them. Of course, they will do their standard attempts to manipulate and propagandize, but the format - because it is a news event - would presumably be open to all members of the journalism world. Too many independent journalist and bloggers would also have access, and that access would break the MSM/Commercial media's monopoly over the debate process. The truth would slip out regardless what the propagandists from the MSM attempt.
I think Obama should tell the MSM to go fuck itself and take McCain up on the offer. We'll get to see him mop the floor with McCain's ass and the MSM will be unable to dictate the dialog or censure any discussions they don't want taking place... especially if the blogosphere is present in force.
Samson- @ 38:
He's drawing crowds in the dozens.
It should be ...
LIVE, pay-per-view, mano-a-mano, steel cage death-match with no moderator and no questions, other than what they ask each other.
How many of those meetings will occur before McCain realizes he may have made another error in judgment?
A little off-topic but I want the message out there loud & clear:
There's Scott McClellan's book, Vincent Bugliosi's book, Richard Clarke's book; at what point do we wake up and do something about the criminals in the Administration?
Impeach them, Impeach them NOW! What's that you say? No time to do that now? YES there is!!!! Even if we don't impeach, we can censure and possibly even imprison! We should do this so that the next president that gets it in his head to improperly go to war, not plan adequately for that war, short change our brave men and women, destroy life, shred the constitution, etc. will think twice about it!
Hey, Bush, Cheney,
how's that search for Osama bin Laden working out?
How come there was no al Qaeda in Iraq before we got there?
How come the end of the world is located at the Afghanistan/Pakistan border?
How come al Qaeda is resurging?
How come the "surge" which was supposed to reduce violence so the Iraqis could reconcile and come together as a nation isn't working?
How come our economy is such a mess? I thought war was good for the economy.
How come you lied about everything?
Why don't you step down and take your administration with you?
Cut & Paste to everyone you know!
I hope ABC is drummed out of the Media Corps after the hacktacular "debate" and the hit piece on OB's "Bottom Ten VP choices". get real, you pugilists.
Let the animatronic horror show, Chucky McCheese, spin in his own bad delivery for awhile. Why do ANYTHING on his terms that he thinks might make him look better to the 'Murkan public? Piffle and pshaw, I say! Blinky will just have to wait until Obama calls him.
Blue Taliban Osama Buddha @ 54:
Yes, two settings: Stay the Course & Nap time. LOL
QuakerDave @ 2:
1000 recommendations to your comment. I believe that even Faux News would do better regarding fair moderation than those two Disney/ABC assholes Gibson and Stephanopolis. Their last performance was disgraceful.
Do they want this open broadcasting so more people can watch ABC Snooze stick to Obama again?
Just asking.
karl @ 36:
I thought the constitution was "a god damn piece of paper". (according to bush any way.)
calibpatriot @ 63:
i beg to differ........fox so bias
calibpatriot @ 63:
I'd like to add 1000 more recommendations to your comment
bill DOH @ 67:
I'd like to take back my 1000 recommendations, I misread the part about fux news.
They are all just as bad.
I want the science debate!
http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php
ysbaddaden @ 57:
Wrong. In Michigan, Nader was polling at 10 per cent and 4 to 5 per cent in five or six other states. That is quite astounding since he has received almost no coverage from the mainstream media. As I mentioned at comment #21, both the networks and the two major parties will do everything they can to ensure that the views of the Democrats and the Republicans are not threatened or challenged by any third party candidates such as Nader or Cynthia McKinney.
How stupid does ABC think the America public are? They think they can go at Sen Obama again after their last fiasco. Gibson and Stephanopolis have shown themselves to be underserving of any interviews with anyone. Gibson should have resigned his position with ABC. Sen Obama should continue to refuse to appear on Fox Entertainment or ABC because of the bias for John McBush. NO 4 MORE YEARS with McBUSH.
It's quite refreshing to watch grownups behaving in a 'fair and balanced' manner, compromising in the interest of the general public. With the debates being conducted in a more transparent and less controversial fashion, the small (but extreme whiny) 'complicit media conspiracy' contingent will have far less fodder to spin into their contrived 'illegal propaganda' accusations.
L.A. Confidential @ 39:
it's past time for that.
This is wonderful news. I commend both the Obama and McCain campaigns.
karl @ 49:
you must have missed the Rovian makeover.
BILL MOYERS ASKS SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
The media does themselves a total disservice and continues to do so.
people can't handle the truth....until we can nothing is going to change
ya,
lets go back to the way it once was....with all the networks sharing in one feed, and not one network trying to upstage the other with who had better gotchya questions
Ruthless People @ 14:
After 8 years of Bush 3000 civilians 4000 soldiers and 1,000,000 Iraqis have died for a change. How many more will McBush cost us?
Erroll @ 70:
Nader was polling 10% my ass. Was this poll done at a Nader rally? Then I would believe that 10% of those people could accurately vote for him. The only thing scarier than Ralph are the people who support him.
Xrepublican @ 71:
apparently, very stupid!
Fuck ABC. We all saw the "debate".
Just Hussein Of It @ 80:
"Was this poll done at a Nader rally?" No, a Michigan poll from Lansing-based polling outfit EPIC-MRA showed Nader in April running at 8 to 10 percent. Simply another example of how the Democrats and the Republicans are absolutely terrified that a third party candidate like Nader could hold them accountable in front of a television audience this summer. Apparently the last thing that Democrats and Republicans, and apparently liberals also, desire is for the American people to feel that they can choose a candidate who is not bought and paid for by the large corporations and who also, unlike Obama and McCain, is for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and for universal single payer health care in America.
Just watched McCain's new campaign ad again. Note that it is shot with half his face in shadow so that you can't see the big cancer swelling on the side of his face or that that eye twitches all the time.
Sorry for his ailments, but the nation needs to see how infirm this man is.
lolarusa @ 74:
What would work? Putting Bill Moyers in charge of an informal debate, without a live audience. Will it be done? Of course. When? Sometime before the next millenium.
Here! Here!
Enough with ABC's canned cheesy ham-fisted fakery masquarading as information and debates. This is for the Presidency at a criical time. Let's get in real debates, with real questions that are really relevant to bettering the nation.
I still haven't gotten over ABC's path to 9/11. For my money, that outfit is right under Murdoch's minoins at Faux Noise for being the most assinine journalistic hacks currently providing fluffy infotainment.
Enough already!
“Nader was polling 10% my ass. Was this poll done at a Nader rally? Then I would believe that 10% of those people could accurately vote for him. The only thing scarier than Ralph are the people who support him.”
You mean the people who vote candidates who BELIEVE in the things they say to the public and would try to put their rhetoric into practice if given the chance? I’ve defended Obama from Clinton’s cheap shots and the press’ handling of the Wright PR fake controversy, but there is a damn good reason to not support him for president. He will NOT enact any radical change to the policies in Iraq unless the people here force him to, and I don’t see any mass social movement around, do you? He will not fundamentally change our economic policy. Wages will continue to stagnate at best, we will continue to have a dwindling industrial base, the economic system will continue to destroy the environment (while ignoring the destruction in prices and national induces) and the other countries where there is economic democracy being practiced will still be in the developing world. The public wants universal healthcare and Obama is and will not offer that. He has all but said so. He will not, and few are expecting to, do what is right and reduce military spending. You cannot have expanding social programs, a humane foreign or economic policy if you spend as much as we do the means of war. The needed changes to environmental policy ARE radical, moderate change is nice but is treated by people like Obama as a near end all, not just an initial step in the right direction.
His nomination is a good sign, especially after the Bush years, but this is a democracy and the POLICIES (outside of the wonderful speeches he gives) he is offering will not solve any of the problems facing the country and are not really a departure from the status quo that have slowly destroyed this country and the developing world. Your mentality is very American. Outside of the US there are multiparty democracies, even in times of crisis the more radical parties will, thanks in part to proportional representation, be given a number of seats in government. Why should people here think any differently? If these changes are necessary, and will eventually have to happen, does it make any sense to attack the people who are right about the issues now?
Nader supporters are, in the end, people who aren’t going to vote for either major candidate, if they don’t vote for Nader or McKinney they just won’t vote. They are potential future brethren of yours if you decide to democratically get your party back and to actually SOLVE the problems of the country (like universal healthcare or real environmental policy, which by its nature would be radical). That’s up to you though. Always vote for the not so great but it could be worse party or eventually align yourselves with people who are right on the issues and whose support you’ll need in the future. You and your party lost the last two elections because you didn’t offer much of an alternative and because of your own election shortcomings. The Democratic candidates and party might have been more competent, and they might have not driven the country into the ground as quickly as Bush has, but we were going in this direction because of the policies that both parties agreed on. Bush has just sped up the process, considerably. You are not entitled to votes by people who don’t support your candidate’s positions. This is not a two party one party state, yet.
Stephanopouloser: "Senator Osama... er Obama, is it true that you wear a turbin while golfing with Tiger Woods?"
McCain: "Excuse me! Where's my mother fuckin' ice tea?"
I stopped watching abc 3yrs ago. Lie to me once,shame on you. They'll never get the chance for me to say 'shame on me'.
You know who's going to be the draw. So as Ben Harper says.........get it like you like it, O.
I am certain of one thing: I would like to see Bill MOyers involved in some way, and MSM NOT involved in any way, shape, or form.
To hell with them. Get it like you like it, Senator Obama.
Obama should not do these at all. McCain wants them because he thinks it works well for him. Obama can get tens of thousands into arenas that McCain could only dream of filling. Stick with YOUR plan not his.
They would be better off to do the town hall meeting on a more credible journalistic channel, like say the Sci-Fi Channel. ABC is a joke, and it's good to see them get their come-uppins.
G-String - I've seen Nader speak. Quite frankly he is scarry. In 1970 I went to my college fieldhouse in a mood to see Nader talk about corporate America and how they were putting us at risk (which I still believe). I walked out absolutely disenchanted and disappointed by his speach. He mostly talked about how the "movement" could take over a county, then a district, then a state, then the federal government. And of course he would be the fearless leader. He sounded like so many run of the mill power hungry radicals of the time. "Hey, I told you what you wanted to hear, and I'm the only one that can deliver but I need the power man."
If he beleived he would have dropped out in October of 2000, but his ego would not let him and he may or may not have given us Bush. But the point is that there was a good chance he would give us Bush but he just could not do the right thing for the environment, but instead did the thing HE wanted to do. Not for what was the realistic outcome but what his belief in himself demanded.
What is wrong with your post is that you justify a conclusion with statements about what other people think and what they will do in the future as a concrete outcome. You know the future only as well as anyone else, you do not have a time machine and you cannot read other people's minds. Drawing a conclusion from your conjecture is only going to lead to solutions that do not solve anything.
I love this and it's exactly what is needed. Take these things completely out of the hands of the tabloid networks with their profit motive. Obama and McCain can do these outside of that influence and let PBS and CSPAN show them if no one else is willing to. It's not about the networks and ratings. It's about US and who we're going to choose to lead this country out of its dark ages.
ABC's ratings have decreased after the debate. Lets keep it that way. Obama, please....never go near ABC.
pissed off patricia @ 17:
Stick to red Jell-O.
My thought is that John McCain would try to stack the deck in a Town Hall debate with ringers in the audience asking pre-arranged qustions. I would not be surprised if John didn't get outfitted with a hidden receiver and earpiece and fed answers much like Dubya did when he debated John Kerry.
Login or Register to post comments.