Obama And McCain Open To Unmoderated Debates Across Country

New York Times:

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are already drawing up strategies for taking each other on in the general election, focusing on the same groups -- including independent voters and Latinos -- and about a dozen states where they think the contest is likely to be decided this fall, campaign aides said.

In a sign of what could be an extremely unusual fall campaign, the two sides said Saturday that they would be open to holding joint forums or unmoderated debates across the country in front of voters through the summer. Mr. Obama, campaigning in Oregon, said that the proposal, floated by Mr. McCain's advisers, was "a great idea."

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[marijam]

A McCain series of debates against Obama will be a "death by a thousand cuts" that McCain will not even realize have been given but will result in his demise as a viable candidate.

[marijam]

I don't know that I will be able to watch them debate, McBush will be SOOO out of his league. Obama will mop up the floor with him.

[steamboat]

So why did Obama turn-down such a debate format when Clinton offered the challenge?

[poco767]

Because he had nothing to gain from debating Clinton again.

[ejay579]

Because she was a has been by that time and needed the free exposure. Why didn't she just buy an hour of air time and read from her position papers? What's that? Oh, I forgot, she could not afford it. By the way, Steamboat, did you max out in contributions?

[Jason357]

Because they had already had numerous exchanges and it was just a last gasp desperate fantasy for her that she could twist something around and somehow twist something around to her advantage. If only he would go after McCain with that enthusiasm.

[Jason357]

Since HuffPo makes it impossible to edit, that should have been she instead of he, of course.

[Myshkin57]

She's hurting financially. That was what the Obama campaign hoped to achieve with Pennsylvania, and they did. Why would they then give her the free media?

[ejay579]

I beleve this format wil be real torture for McShame.

[CocteausTwin]

They better have a defibrillator on hand, and a huge tarp when McCain's head explodes.

Will Lieberman be on the stage?

I think they should both be put in Faraday cages, you know McCain will be "wired for sound!"

[ObamaOhio08]

I can't wait for McCain to "confuse" a fact. Obama will be able to nicely correct him while at the same time fanning the flames of McInsane's temper.

I'm convinced McFossil will lose his temper in front of the voters.

GOBAMA!

[harriscrl3]

Good maybe now we can get to the issues rather than silliness.

There is plenty of differences between these two candidate in fact I would go as far and say that these two candidates have shown the most contrast in any election I can remember.

Carol

[Midnightrain]

Unmoderated? What would McCain do without his mouthpiece Lieberman at his side? He might want to rethink that offer.

[BushBites]

Unmoderated?

Charlie Gibson and Fat Timmeh don't like the sound of that.

[indypete]

They just need the right moderator, somebody who knows the issues and can be relied on to stay neutral... I suggest Jon Stewart!

[CocteausTwin]

Great choice! I think he would probably be fair and respectful (I'd hope)

[indypete]

Having seen him with both of them I think it'd be a lead pipe cinch.

[in4success]

stewart and colbert!!!!!!!

WOOHOO!!!

now that would be debatieness!

[mamacat]

I think these two can have good debates/discussions. There are some people out there who could be good moderators, but they sure didn't show up for the primary debates.

[BushBites]

Most of the talking heads are just trying to impress their colleagues with gotcha questions. Plus, they're all too rich to even care about concerns about real people, much less ask questions about them.

Jim Lehrer was the closest they had to a competent moderator in the General last year.

[whizkid]

Obama seems to have rented the codpiece and banner from Bush.

[Sandmann]

Hey whizzy! I see you're still on the fast track to being a victim of natural selection.

I've seen bots with more variety than you. Keep hoping your opposable thumbs grow in soon, maybe then you'll have something worth posting. Probably not.

[CocteausTwin]

Darn close to the best response to Mr. Depends I've seen all morning.

Two thumbs up!

[AMJordan]

Leslie Neilson will be McCain's stand-in during the first half of the debate.

[KarateKid]

LOL.

[sparkandy]

Then can Eddie Murphy stand in for Obama? That would be the most watched debate in this history of television.

[abby4ever]

Hillary will go mad---Obama wouldn't agree to her idea of an unmoderated, 'Lincoln-Douglas' debate, but now appears willing to have that kind of debate with McCain. Talk about ignoring her! Oh, well, it's time she conceded anyway. (Which I think is the point he is trying to make, by ignoring her. It's time to get on with the real race against McCain andc stop pretending that she can still win it.)

[BushBites]

Shows how much Hillary knows.

Each of the seven Lincoln-Douglas debates had this format: one candidate spoke for an hour, then the other candidate spoke for an hour and a half, and then the first candidate was allowed a half hour "rejoinder."

[nativeeyes]

McShame ride in style on his wife's private jet...

Only because she thinks he will get lost flying Coach..

And she worries about his comb over... lol!!

[AMJordan]

"Well my friend, these peanuts are very good. Are we North Dakota, yet?"

"Senator McCain? This is the bus to Staten Island."

"Isn't that in North Dakota?"

[CocteausTwin]

I know a girl named Jordan. With the fondness I am developing for your zings -- I am starting to hope you might be female. Either way you are fun to read.

[KarateKid]

But his daughter is so nice, being concerned for her father like that.

[nativeeyes]

McCain is so old, he still owes Moses $3.00

[KarateKid]

LOL. Boy, is this going to be a fun summer and fall.

[BuckeyeNut]

With the joking of age discrimination I see in here and what am sure is going to come before November, McCain ought to grab all of the 60 and over crowd. One thing about those old folks (I'm one of them), they turn out to vote and don't piss them off. My best advice is for Bamas campaign to lay off of the senile ads. They aren't gonna go down well with seniors.

[Sandmann]

McCain is so old...His Social Security number is 1

Sorry folks, couldn't help it.

[nativeeyes]

McMummy unplugged, lol!

[CocteausTwin]

LOL

[nativeeyes]

Isn't Mccain like 1000 years old...

He looks like a Mummy uncovered....