Obama released the following yesterday:
Obama’s campaign released a letter this afternoon from campaign manager David Plouffe to the Commission on Presidential Debates only agreeing to the traditional three sanctioned fall debates and single vice presidential forum.
“Due to the late date of the two parties’ nominating conventions, and the relatively short period between the end of the conventions and the first proposed debate, it is likely that the four commission debates will be the sole series of debates in the fall campaign,” Plouffe writes.
Not said is whether Obama is any longer considering meeting McCain for any town hall meetings outside the Commission’s debates. After initial indications in June that some would take place, it appears increasingly unlikely that the two candidates will meet on stage before the first debate at Ole Miss in September. McCain wanted to do one per week; Obama’s campaign responded by proposing one town hall on July Fourth and a Lincoln-Douglas-style appearance in August. McCain’s campaign rejected this counter-offer and discussions have since ceased as the campaign has increasingly turned negative.
So the challenge from McCain for 10 town hall debates has officially been dismissed by the Obama campaign. What a coward. But we’ve all seen how the guy does without a teleprompter, his staff most certainly has, and they did the smartest thing. While running from these debates is cowardly, it is smart. He would be demolished.
McCain responds:
“We understand it might be beneath a worldwide celebrity of Barack Obama’s magnitude to appear at town hall meetings alongside John McCain and directly answer questions from the American people, but we hope he’ll reconsider.”
Ouch.
The left made much of Bush’s ability to speak well but when it comes to the messiah….it just doesn’t matter anymore. Funny how that happens eh?
And what will hurt even more is the fact that McCain will continue to appear at town hall meetings to answer questions off the cuff while Obama jets around like the rock star he believes he is to get his photo taken as he reads from speeches written for him.
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