Will someone explain to me why McCain wants these town hall meetings so badly? I don't get it -

Isn't that where audience members ask the questions and candidates have to answer off the cuff?

Why would he think the format is better?

I think he knows Obama just wants the straight-up debates, so him whining about these 'town hall' meetings gives him an out to avoid being called the coward that he is. He'd shit his pants if Obama took him up on this, especially when the BO team made sure that none of the questions or questioners were plants.

its fake outrage.

Obama's crowds.

But the debates will provide one audience for both - so I keep wondering why he keeps bringing it up all the time - still.

I think the poster who said it makes him look like he gave a challenge that Obama is afraid of is right. As if he's calling Obama a chicken for not "taking up the offer".

Sigh................................

geared to his favor, etc. at least that's my impression.

and hide his ignorance better. Same reason Bush wanted 'em.

But now he's just being a whiny bitch about it because Obama didn't take the bait on the town hall thing and now he's not blinking in this big game of chicken. McDouche is the chicken.

never answer the question and leave the audience just frustrated...no follow up questions..no hard hitting answers..just fluff and nutter

.... if a professional journalist was conducting a traditional style debate.

Quick! Think of the two most recent times you can remember him making a big deal of that....

1. Rick Warren

2. Jay Leno

see my point?

I'm joking .......... but only partly.

Which would have screwed up Obama's campaign schedule, made the whole country sick of both of them, and allowed the media to cherry pick the parts that show McCain in the best light and Obama in the worst. Nobody would have watched all of them but they would have had a lot of footage to pick through to find good soundbites. Plus they would have had the audiences packed with supporters lobbing softballs.

Of course, now that Obama's planning a town-hall shebang tomorrow in the event of a McCain absence, we're getting to see how full of bluster the man really is.

to keep Obama from doing what he needed to do to solidify the party. McCalin had his nomination locked up early and would have had an advantage moving into those forums.

Also he wanted to try and use Obama's popularity to get his message out. I am sure many undecided voters would tune in to hear Obama speak, and get stuck listening to the old repuke in the same event.

Plus it goes against the 50 State Strategy in taking time away from the campaign trail. Also gives McCain and his minions another talking point to try to paint Obama as a chicken. With the debate looming who is the chicken now? McCluck.

...He may have at one point because it was difficult for him to get attention and Obama standing next to him would have generated excitement. Now it has become a bit of a stalking horse. He throws it out there as a get out of jail free card when someone questions his avoidance of the press or his secretive campaign.

Though initially receptive to the idea of joint town halls, the Obama campaign has so far opted to treat McCain's ambitious proposal as a calculated political threat, not a high-minded invitation to improve the democratic process. On Friday, the Obama campaign said that it would agree to a single town hall, on the Fourth of July, and an additional forum on foreign policy, a counteroffer that McCain quickly deemed unacceptable. The Obama camp may have genuine concerns about how their candidate will stack up against McCain in such a format. But they are also well aware that so many joint appearances only help McCain, who badly trails Obama in fund raising, rack up the free media exposure he needs to keep pace with his opponent.

took him up on it. He's just trying to show Obama up and make him look like he's oooh sooo afraid to take big bad john on. He's bringing it up again tonight because he's the one that looks like a big wuss for trying to get out of the debate tomorrow night.

mcsame is an old school repub politician and it's really showing. People want change and thank gods, change is on the way.

who asks about abortion. It makes Dems look bad when they tell her it OK to have one...

With a town hall, you may get some great questions, but overall questioning is less challenging.

A seasoned journalist knows the issues cold, can ask the questions more effectively, and can also follow up more effectively because they're used to the interview process.

campaign by doing that..where and when they have the town hall meetings.

1. He thinks he's good at it...although I have watched him and he never directly answers a question, just says "Thank you for your question and then goes off on an unrelated tangent."

2. Smaller audience if he does goof up and easier to manipulate...