by John M. Curtis
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Copyright June 13, 2008
ll Rights Reserved.

ewly minted Democratic Party nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) rejected the clever offer of GOP presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to hold 10 town-hall-style meetings, a comfortable format for the 72-year, four-term Arizona lawmaker. McCain's campaign hopes to call the shots, putting pressure on the 46-year-old junior senator from Illinois. Barack just finished a series of 22 grueling debates with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and other democratic candidates. Clinton recently conceded Saturday, June 7, endorsing and promising to enthusiastically support Obama. For weeks, McCain has pounced on Obama, criticizing his every move, long before Clinton threw in the towel. McCain likes the loose town-hall format because journalists don't hold his feet to the fire. McCain, far more than Barack, is prone toward making gaffes and factual errors.

      McCain made mincemeat out of his once GOP rival former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney. Romney was far more adept at reciting facts-and-figures but failed miserably against McCain's acerbic quips. McCain has a biting wit and sardonic sense of humor, sometimes throwing opponents for a loop. Barack, on the other hand, is far more the straight arrow, more comfortable in a formalized debate scenario. Calling Obama's reaction “a very disappointing response,” McCain's campaign was put off by Barack's cool reception to letting McCain determine the format. With McCain's fund raising lagging, his campaign saw multiple town hall meetings as good exposure for the occasionally awkward lawmaker. McCain's more formal speechmaking or debate performance leaves audiences less than wowed. Barack, on the other hand, leaves audiences mesmerized.

      Obama's handlers won't let McCain dictate the format of joint appearances. Barack agreed to only one town hall on July 4. While Obama's campaign believes his schedule is too jam-packed between now and the convention, they also know that multiple town hall meetings would take some the luster off his candidacy. It opens the window for possible gaffes, as well as too much spontaneity. Obama's message is best delivered in well-rehearsed speeches or carefully formatted debates. McCain seems to shed his awkwardness when responding one-on-one in the town hall format. McCain's campaign tried to spin Barack's reticence as “liver-lilled,” casting himself as more courageous. Throwing down the gauntlet certainly put Barack's campaign on the defensive, trying to explain why McCain's proposed town hall meetings wouldn't work for the campaign.

      Barack's campaign manager David Plouffe wouldn't take the bait. “It's disappointing that Sen. McCain and his campaign decided to decline the proposal. Apparently they would rather contrive a political issue than foster a genuine discussion about the future of the country,” said Plouffe, after managing some damage control over the resignation of one of Barack's VP search team named Jim Johnson. Johnson, a consummate Washington insider, formerly head of Fannie Mae, campaign manager in 1984 for Walter Mondale and head of Sen. John Kerry's 2004 VP search team, allegedly received preferential treatment on three mortgages from Countrywide CEO Angelo Mazillo. Seeking to score another hit, McCain portrayed Obama as running for cover trying to avoid town hall meetings. Barack currently enjoys a six-point lead in national polls according to the Wall St. Journal.

      Holding town hall meetings would play into McCain's strength, exposing Barack's potential pitfalls. Barack's handlers would prefer different format, especially the more formalized debate where McCain is prone toward memory lapses and misstatements. “I'll let the American people decide which is the preferable proposal,” said McCain, reacting to Obama's rebuff. “I want the American people to have the exposure to a number of town hall meetings,” pushing town halls. McCain commands a fraction of the medial attention buzzing around Obama. Richard Nixon, when running against John F. Kennedy in 1960, frequently complained about the media's love affair with the dashing Massachusetts senator. McCain can neither blame Barack for his good looks and charisma nor can he blame the press for swooning over what Wall St. Journal op-ed writer Peggy Noonan calls “old v. new America.”

      As Sen. Hillary learned, McCain is in no position to dictate the format of joint appearances with Obama. When it became obvious that Barack dazzled audiences with some of the best oratory since JFK, Hillary criticized him for being too slick and dishing out empty rhetoric. There's nothing preferable or more down-to-earth about town halls as compared to more formalized debates. Many primetime debates during the primaries experimented with various formats, including abandoning the lecterns, sitting on barstools or around informal tables. Instead of painting Barack as weak, McCain would win more concessions allowing his handlers to privately work out the joint-appearance details. With Barack already leading national polls, more media events helps the underdog catch up. Most the broadcast and cable networks want to work out the details with both campaigns.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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