In "The Simpsons Movie," Bart and Homer play a high-stakes game of truth or dare on top of the family home. The loser, should he not undertake a no-holds-barred dare, is branded "chicken for life."
Well, Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama, having ceremoniously turned down presumptive GOP nominee John McCain's challenge to hold an unprecedented number of pre-convention Town Hall meetings is now formally branded, "CHICKEN FOR LIFE."
It appears that the always scripted celebrity, Barack Obama, feels uncomfortable with the rough and tumble world of the town hall meeting, where irregular and unscripted questions -- and non message tested voter interaction -- would rule the day. It's a shame that voters likely won't get to hear him talk about anything in specific or face less-than-friendly questions. Instead, we'll get more of the same...poll-tested platitudes about the need for "change."
McCain's challenge is bold on its face -- 10 town hall meetings. You would think that the former community organizer, Barack Obama, would jump at the opportunity to roll up his sleeves and interact with the common folk. In fact, when McCain first broached the concept, Obama, who was locked in a tight primary with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton at the time, expressed interest in such forums with Senator McCain. Specifically, the young, inexperienced junior Senator from Illinois said:
"Obviously, we would have to think through the logistics on that, but ... if I have the opportunity to debate substantive issues before the voters with John McCain, that's something that I am going to welcome."
To make matters worse, in attempting to criticize an effective John McCain commercial questioning Barack Obama's ability to lead, the junior Illinois Senator attempted to slam McCain for not debating serious issues of the day...perhaps Obama should look at himself for not wanting to even debate. After all, if this is such an important election, shouldn't the American voting public be privy to numerous interactions between the candidates...rather than the scripted encounters undertaken by the Commission on Presidential Debates?
Like most of Barack Obama's political and public policy views...they are subject to change, back-sliding and downright waffling. Now, his campaign has political hack Congressman Rahm Emanuel negotiating his presidential debate positioning...which means, that we'll be subject to three highly scripted debates with the mainstream media fawning over Obama, letting him get away with vague, mushy answers and then praising Obama as "visionary," "insightful" and "revolutionary."
Barack Obama...you ARE CHICKEN FOR LIFE.
1 comment:
Matt,
While I would probably disagree with you on most policy issues, in this case you are right.
Barack Obama is not a great "on your feet" speaker. Like Ronald
Reagan, he needs a carefully scripted response. This is why Hillary Clinton tore him up in the Democratic debates.
While I like the idea of direct candidate debates, I can not favor a town hall concept. This concept leads to a large mass of nonsensical questions.
If it were up to me, the candidates would debate head-to-head with only a timekeeper. Each candidate could pose questions to the other candidate. Debates would be limited to 60 minutes. Due to his prostrate and incomplete emptying of his bladder problems, John McCain would not a break at the end of an hour.
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