Video: McCain fields softballs at prime time town hall meeting
posted at 2:30 pm on June 13, 2008 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | regular view
Mistake or no? Amid a discussion of Brian Kilmeade’s balls, Kilmeade and Chris Wallace both deride last night’s Fox News event as an opportunity lost since it didn’t include hardballs from Democrats (Hillary Democrats especially) or independents. Given how many chances Maverick’s going to have to rumble with Obama — at least five, which is five fewer than he requested — there’s no risk he’ll end up being seen as afraid to face tough questions. But what was the point of last night’s town hall if not to leave an impression on a big audience? They could have accomplished that by playing chickens with liberals trying to stump him on live TV; as it is, it sounds like it came off as a sustained informercial. Earned media is earned media, but if you wanted or needed further evidence of Karl’s point that Team McCain doesn’t do well with staging events, here you go.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
Beg pardon…
amerpundit on June 13, 2008 at 2:33 PM
I remember reading many of the “Making of the Presidents” books about the presidentual campaigns of the past years.
Reagan always asked I believe that he face tough pre debate practice foes to better prepare for his debates. In fact I think he stated he was always surprized at how easy a regular debate was compared to some of his practice debates.
William Amos on June 13, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Mr “How’s-my-eyeliner global-warming-deniers-are-stupid” reporting.
jgapinoy on June 13, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Nice way to show that all those “OMFG, Bush #3!!1″ accusations are baseless.
freevillage on June 13, 2008 at 2:44 PM
As Carl Cameron says, John McCain can “wander the room”. That is until he is identified and returned to his dementia unit.
Valiant on June 13, 2008 at 2:44 PM
I watched most of it, it was pretty dismal…i wish he would drop the “my friends” thing…using that phrase pretty much epitomizes the stock in trade of the aging politician. I’m voting for him, just sayin….
surrounded on June 13, 2008 at 2:46 PM
Just got breaking news from Fox they are putting Laura Ingrahm on for her own TV show on Fox at 5PM
William Amos on June 13, 2008 at 2:48 PM
It was awful– the parts I was able to watch anyway. Townhall meetings? In Manhattan? Staged? Yuck.
JiangxiDad on June 13, 2008 at 2:50 PM
After yesterday’s Supreme Court decision, I don’t care if McCain’s depends leak. He’ll get my vote simply because of up coming Supreme Court vacancies.
Onager on June 13, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Ex-ACT-ly. The “hardball” will come, and McCain’s not at all afraid of it. As “uneventful” as the town hall was, McCain hit on very important points, and gave his stance. Given all the media attention to the Obama/Hillary fight the last few months, McCain hasn’t really had the media opportunity to express many of his views to the voters.
JetBoy on June 13, 2008 at 3:00 PM
What has Team McCain been doing the past 2 or 3 months???? They should be punching Obama left and right right now. If they’ve got any good plans to strike a bright line between the tickets, they need to unveil them NOW. There’s no sense in waiting.
pecan pie on June 13, 2008 at 3:00 PM
You are right of course…it’s just that some of it was so embarrassing, i actually felt sorry for him…like his responding to the question about the YOOT VOTE by lugging in his SNL appearance by the ears. I couldn’t look.
surrounded on June 13, 2008 at 3:05 PM
God, I just heard McCain on the radio saying he “would never privatize Social Security because it’s a government program.”
Well, then. Thanks for clearing that up.
He then said “we need to tell the American people it’s broken.”
You think they don’t know that?
This guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s jut been hiding behind his maverick facade for the past quarter century.
BigD on June 13, 2008 at 3:06 PM
When does Osama Obama get ONE round of tough questions?
MrScribbler on June 13, 2008 at 3:08 PM
I was at the one in Nashua, NH, yesterday afternoon, and my opinion after talking with some of the people in line is that the people most likely to be there are going to be the ones who want to go out to support him, not necessarily get more information. If Obama and McCain do the town hall meetings together, you’ll probably see a bigger mix.
It seems that those who would support Obama wouldn’t want to hear what he had to say, anyway. As I was driving in, a college Democrat group were putting up signs along the way that read, “Bush – McCain, More of the same!”
ScoopPC11 on June 13, 2008 at 3:14 PM
He did once, on that ABC debate, and his followers went into a rabid frenzy over it. Good times…
I like the sound of that ;-)
Yeah, I watched most of it, and wish it had more “umph” than it did, but we have to remember, the general election has only just started.
JetBoy on June 13, 2008 at 3:14 PM
This smacks of 1996 and Bob Dole all over again. Lackluster candidate, lack of enthusiasm by the base, and a candidate with a personality so bland chicken broth looks exciting in comparison.
Face it, McCain and his people squandered MONTHS of strategic planning time and campaigning. Instead of getting the presumptive canidate out there raising funds and kissing babies, McCain has done lame events like that “biographical” trip where he wandered aimlessly and talked about the good old days.
Instead of Town Hall non-events, McCain needs to be out there in huge stadiums filled with cheering supporters, he needs to be hammering Obama on the issues and any gaffes that are made, he needs to differentiate himself from a younger much more charismatic candidate that virtually holds the same views on all issues but Iraq.
McCain isn’t doing any of that. It makes me wonder how much he wants the job, whether he thinks it is his by entitlement, and if this is merely a resume’ stuffer ala Bush #41 instead of leadership.
highhopes on June 13, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Actually, there are people out there that are still under the delusion that it doesn’t need to be fixed, so him reiterating that something needs to be done is actually a good thing. A senior at the Nashua, NH, event brought up social security, and tried to tell McCain that it didn’t need to be fixed because it was the “only government agency” that was efficient. He argued with the guy for awhile, even pointing out that the treasurer for the program said that it was going to go broke.
The guy tried to use the excuse, “You’re all going to be seniors someday! Think about it!” *rolls eyes* At the rate we’re going, there’s not going to be anything left for when we do become seniors!
ScoopPC11 on June 13, 2008 at 3:21 PM
nb4 MB4
: )
carbon_footprint on June 13, 2008 at 3:29 PM
McC has been saying some incredibly stupid things recently.
Not much real difference between the two horrible candidates we have to choose from this season.
Bleh.
Wow… Tim Russert has died.
techno_barbarian on June 13, 2008 at 3:33 PM
Oh noes. This is so terribly unfair, right?
Absolutely.
wise_man on June 13, 2008 at 3:48 PM
And thanks to fewer people voting for Dole, the whitehouse was again controlled by a democrat.
Yeah, it smacks of a democrat victory, again. Isn’t that good news?
Cause that’s what happens when more people vote for a (D) than the (R).
wise_man on June 13, 2008 at 3:52 PM
Wow. Only 22 comments about McCain’s big event last night. Base is all fired up John. Good job. g’night.
JiangxiDad on June 13, 2008 at 4:12 PM
When you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything.
……
Drill here, drill now, and for good measure throw in a few new refineries and nuclear power plants. To say America can’t do, is just ummm, errr, un-American. With somewhere north of 118 Billion Barrels of oil, 400 years supply of coal, and uranium we are all set with energy, easy to become energy independent if the Democrat Marxists in Congress will allow us.
Marxism by restricting energy supplies is not the American way.
tarpon on June 13, 2008 at 4:21 PM
I am actually wishing for the bad old days right now. At least there was some elected conservative opposition.
Valiant on June 13, 2008 at 4:40 PM
McCain should speak live from:
1. Baghdad (joint US/Iraqi victory)
2. Alaska (drill)
3. California coast (drill)
4. The steps of the Supreme Court (5-4)
5. The steps of Trinity Church (hate is not unity)
faraway on June 13, 2008 at 4:42 PM
And they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
He learned the trick of having the supposedly multi-partisan participants screened to allow in only sycophants from his good friend Hillary Clinton.
———————————-
Yeah, me too. I was very depressed at Dole getting the nod, even though I like him as a person.
Now, I’d wet myself with joy if he were suddenly announced as the nominee today.
LegendHasIt on June 13, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Um….. That’s not what is on the menu this year. We’ve got the (D) and the “lite” version of the (D). Leaves those of us hungering for a big old slice of pure (R) out in the cold.
And to run the analogy just a little further, McCain supporters demanding that we shut up and order the (D) lite are like the nagging spouse insisting the lite version is really better for us since ordering the (R) won’t result in win…….
Like the full-fat version of most dishes, there are times I’m willing to order the (R) and take my chances instead of settling for the lite version. It’s like wanting Pecan Pie and having the spouse insist that rice cakes are just as tasty. I’m not buying it.
highhopes on June 13, 2008 at 7:34 PM
1. Not a bad venue if not overplayed. Since Obama has refused to go to Iraq since 2006, I think the first town hall debate should be from Camp Victory with the troops asking the questions.
2. & 3. McCain won’t even considering drilling in ANWR. Showing up here only shows that his record is far from serious about energy independence. Why show up in Alaska unless the gossip about him putting the Governor on the ticket turns out to be true. Why bother showing up in California at all since he isn’t going to get the electoral votes anyway.
4. McCain is one of the architects of this debacle by his rabid demands about the treatment of these suspected terrorists and his repeated lies that the interrogation techniques were “torture.” He also sold away some of our Constitutional rights in the name of reforming a process that nobody outside of Congress cares about. Bad photo op having a man who has undermined our rights reminding us that he wants to do even more damage as POTUS. I deadly serious here that neither Obama and McCain are going to do the right thing vis-a-vis the Judiciary. Souter is just as bad as Ginsberg when we need another Scalia.
5. I’d be very uncomfortable with any politician challenging faith quite this directly. Plus McCain refuses to talk faith issues other than make unsubstantiated claims that he believes in a higher being. Trinity is an issue best left to others and faith in general is going to be avoided by both sides this year. McCain’s strategy even includes driving evangelicals out of the party so he can grow it with liberals just like him.
Besides the Iraq suggestion above, my venues for McCain to bring his message:
1. Small town in Michigan which, under a Democrat, has had a one-state recession for years. Perfect place to roll out economic initiatives.
2. Make the expected patriotic speech to the American Legion or VFW into a landmark speech about national security, Iraq, and what the government is going to do for our returning troops.
3. Organize huge rallies (even if there are fewer of them) and fill stadiums full of McCain Kool-aid drinkers to make it appear as if his supporters are enthusiastic about his candidacy even though most seem to be settlers for the lesser of two evils instead of really wanting to see McCain in office the way we did Reagan in 1984.
highhopes on June 13, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Probably pretty close to the truth.
Zorro on June 13, 2008 at 8:23 PM
That’s probably why his support is running high. When he actually starts talking about gas prices, global warming, immigration, ect. he starts losing votes. Best if he stays vague. Vote McCain! He’s a Senator…and he’s never been convicted of anything!
austinnelly on June 13, 2008 at 8:58 PM
I’m starting to think I should vote for this guy under the “checks and balances” method of reasoning. Since dems are going to have congress, a Republican should be President to avoid complete 1 party rule. Even if McCain is really a moderate and the (R) after his name stands for RINO.
Dollayo on June 14, 2008 at 12:46 AM
DOLE/KEMP all over again. I can feel it in my bones. Does this sound familiar??? Candidate whose TURN has come. Ammunition against opponent, but won’t be used… Favorite sayings that are PATRONIZING, “MY FRIEND”… We survived CARTER, we should be able to weather a little B. HUSSEIN???
pueblo1032 on June 14, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Comment pages: