John McCain's Fake Town Halls

The John McCain town hall meeting is a fraud. Unlike other writers at HuffPost, I want John McCain to do well this summer, so it pains me to report this. "I believe the town hall meeting is the most important element of democracy," Senator McCain said last week in Portsmouth, Ohio. I wouldn't go that far, but I would hate to see one senator hand the election to another. It's not good for Senator Obama, who already exudes enough confidence to power a wind turbine; it's not good for us, because we profit from spirited debate. And isn't that what a town hall meeting is supposed to be?

The town hall meeting yesterday in Albuquerque, New Mexico is typical in that the real action is not on the ground in the small conference room of Hotel Albuquerque but in the internet air war waged at the same time. There's an old-fashioned quaintness to John McCain's insistence on the centrality of the town hall meeting -- even he doesn't really believe in it, for he always shapes his meetings not to the locals and their concerns but to the action taking place in the campaign email and conference call skirmishes over the addled attention of the press that particular day. McCain, for example, gives his Albuquerque supporters a speech on Afghanistan (much to the surprise of some, who had been hoping to hear about social issues and the economy) because that very day Obama delivers his major foreign policy speech, "A New Strategy for a New World," at the same time in Washington, D.C. Obama is setting the pace elsewhere, far from New Mexico. The McCain Campaign is as usual playing catch-up in Albuquerque, for Obama has been warning about the need to win the war in Afghanistan at least as far back as his Pennsylvania speeches before that state's primary.

Beyond the illusion of locality, there's the atmosphere to these meets. Despite the crackle in the air war, the town hall meetings themselves are soporific. Sometimes we begin with the hagiography of American patriotism: the trooping of the colors, the singing of patriotic hymns, the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem. That was the drill in Portsmouth. But then quickly, and without fanfare, Mrs. Cindy McCain, as she's called, is giving a two-line introduction of her husband, and there's something about her soft voice -- I'm ready for a nap. Maybe because Cindy McCain is absent, Albuquerque isn't such a yawner. For one thing, the air war is heated, especially over what Senator Obama did or did not say about "the surge." For another, there is a plethora of security -- in addition to the usual suspects, five state troopers standing and staring, perhaps because most of New Mexico's Republican Party poobahs are seated in the small conference room. (A fillip to the unusual drama is that Governor Bill Richardson is holding an Obama fundraiser nearby at the same time.)

The absence of Mrs. Cindy McCain may be significant, for John McCain does not begin well, delivering his "Comprehensive Strategy for Victory in Afghanistan" speech haltingly. And he had spoken so beautifully just the day before at the La Raza convention in San Diego! I know the Senator is having an off day when he leans on the phrase "my friends" too often. (The McCain Campaign has tried to put their candidate on a "friends-free" diet.) From there Albuquerque descends into gaffe-querque, with poor John McCain stumbling through a series of verbal missteps.

Picked up ad nauseam by the national media is John McCain's calling the Czech Republic "Czechoslovakia" for the second time in two days. In answer to a question about buying gas, the Senator typically ranges far afield and wanders (no surprise) into one of his favorite topics, Iran. "As you also know, in recent days they [the Iranians] have tested missiles which could probably, in some ways, deliver a nuclear weapon, so it's very serious, a very serious situation. Now I believe that we are seeing a positive response from our European friends. I suggested a long time ago a League of Democracies, and it's very clear that Russia and China, especially Russia, will veto significant measures which will impact the behavior of the Iranians. Now I regret that. And I regret some of the recent behavior that Russia has exhibited, and I will be glad to talk about that later on, including the reduction of oil supplies to Czechoslovakia after they [the Czechs] agreed with us on missile defense system, etc."

It's too bad John McCain doesn't confine himself to a "talk about that later on." And what's up with the missiles that could probably, in some ways, deliver a nuclear weapon? Shouldn't Senator John McCain be able to speak more to the point than "in some ways?" He has a problem with vagueness all morning long, but it is this first question, the one on buying gas, that is most illustrative. A gentleman suggests that, as a way to help with the gas price crisis, "we first list the people who are selling us gas and doing us harm," like Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Then, according to this man, we should have "a good list and a bad list" and buy only from the good.

In reply John McCain says, "I think that you are right. I think that the American people are beginning to understand more clearly that this huge transfer of $700 billion a year of your money is one of the greatest transfers of wealth in history. And it is a national security issue, my friends. It is an environmental issue, clearly an economic issue. But we can't afford this as far as our national security is concerned -- that money goes -- you mentioned a couple of them, Venezuela, ah, some other countries that -- that are clearly not our friends, and there is compelling evidence that some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorist organizations. So it is a national security issue. And I would be glad to identify them, although the American people, whom we tend sometimes to underestimate, have figured a lot of this out."

Who are the "we" who "tend sometimes to underestimate?" Aren't all of us in the room in Albuquerque Americans? Besides the condescension in we v. the people, what's clear is not that "some other countries" are our enemies but that John McCain cannot think of them. This is the third thing that is wrong with the town hall meetings: John McCain is no longer able to muster the facts necessary for spirited discourse. He is not the master of policy detail that is required now, in 2008, to make a credible run for the presidency. Ironically, we have George Bush to thank for raising the bar. The American people are no longer willing -- at least, I believe this to be so -- to proffer their trust to a candidate merely because of his good humor and personality. From what I've seen of John McCain in the summer's town hall meetings, he relies entirely too much on jokes and bonhomie to slide past the specifics he may not be able to recall quite in the moment.

The fourth bit of fakery in the town hall meetings is the lack of purported back-and-forth. At almost every event, Senator McCain encourages questioners to ask a follow-up, to get deep into the subject with him. But in fact McCain seldom zeroes in on the issue raised; instead he steers away to his talking points, a typical politician, moving the "conversation" in a direction that interests him, not the questioner. In Albuquerque, when he gets a question about the future of Los Alamos and the other national labs in New Mexico, for example, John McCain talks about an event in Silicon Valley, California, he recently attended where he met two guys who have built a $100,000 electric car. (This must be some car, because Bill Clinton used to talk about it all the time, too.) Then he salutes the fact that "the government invented the internet," before saluting "the large numbers of men and women that are based here in the state of New Mexico who are charged with defending the nation." Finally, in answer to the question about the labs, he brings on Congressman Pearce (behind in the polls in a fierce re-election fight) for a brief word. And once again, in this peculiarly gaffe-laden event, McCain adds a stunner. "The first telephones cost a thousand dollars and they were about that big! We all remember that!" We do??? I'm roughly the age of the average McCain supporter here, and I don't recall any such thing.

Sometimes political town hall meetings appear staged (and this happens at Obama events, as well) when a supporter feeds the candidate a question that the supporter knows will either flatter the candidate or play to his strong points. In Albuquerque, John McCain gets a question from a handsome young Hispanic guy wearing a white cowboy hat. "How are you going to secure the prosperity for the economic backbone of this country, the small businesses, the middle class businesses, the engine of the American economy?" The very wording of the question should be a clue to everybody. I, for one, already know this man, for I've interviewed him earlier. He is Aaron Henry Diaz, and he's the president of the Young Republicans of Dona Ana County. "John McCain is definitely an amigo," he has told me. It is unclear whether John McCain recognizes Aaron Henry when he says, "You epitomize to me what America is all about." McCain savors the moment and gets into trouble, again. "I want to tell you [to Aaron Henry] without getting emotional about it when I think about America I'll think about you and your wonderful partner next to you, and--" Titters. McCain realizes he has made a mistake. "And--a friend! Excuse me. Your friend next to you." Oops. Big oops. Because the young woman sitting next to Aaron Henry is also Hispanic, poor John McCain has drawn a certain conclusion. (She is, in fact, an aide to Congressman Pearce.) "I look at you both, and I see the face of America. That's why these town hall meetings are so important."

If the face of America is the John McCain town hall meeting, we're in trouble, because the McCain town hall meetings are old and white. There are always a few African-Americans (maybe three in Portsmouth and three in Albuquerque). There is a smattering of Hispanics in Albuquerque -- although nothing near a half-audience that would be roughly representational of New Mexico. There are always a number of Veterans -- the most intriguing in Albuquerque being a Hungarian army man who emigrated here in 1946 and looks way too young to have fought in World War Two. When I compliment him, he says, "I used to spend my summers in Transylvania." So even the John McCain town hall meetings along the trail have their moments.

But mostly the town hall summer makes me sad. It is an opportunity lost. Barack Obama had nothing to fear from John McCain in appearing with him at these events, even though he would've been playing "cool" to McCain's "warm." Of course, most likely the Obama Campaign has known this all along and has turned down the repeated McCain invitation not out of fear but out of disdain, not wanting to give these events the imprimatur of credibility. Nevertheless, a summer of joint appearances would have been a good thing, a good thing for us, the American people, because the events would have brought McCain supporters and Obama supporters together in the same room. Isn't that what the Obama Campaign is supposed to be about? And I get the sense that here in New Mexico, Democrats and Republicans live in two separate worlds.

Apropos of nothing much but to shake the mood, an FYI to all candidates who inveigh against drug trafficking: For those of us Southerners of a certain age, the song "Taking Care of Business" is iconic Elvis. It was the code phrase between the King and his posse--time to go out and buy some.

Comments

[gladys46]

JM is a complete tidal wave of contradictions! It's quite surreal that this is what repubs expect the American electorate to vote for after 7 yrs of this same nonsense!!

[Rotcod]

OH...


hag·i·og·ra·phy [ hàggee óggrəfee, hàyjee óggrəfee ] (plural hag·i·og·ra·phies)
noun
Definition:

1. biography of saint: biography of a saint or the saints

2. biography revering its subject: biography that treats its subject with undue reverence
hag·i·o·graph·ic [ hàggee ə gráffik, hàyjee ə gráffik ] adjective

im·pri·ma·tur [ ìmprə mtər, ìmprə m tr ]
noun
Definition:

1. approval: authority to do, say, or especially print something ( formal )

2. official license: an authorization allowing a book or other work to be published, now usually confined to works sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church

[Mid-17th century. < Latin, "let it be printed"]

Great post though.

[elr50]

Do you suppose McCain will have that same "bump" in the back of his jacket that Bushit did when he debated Kerry???? Didn't seem to matter to many of the idiot voters in this country.

[Jody2167]

McSame will have to!

[jdenham]

He can probably wear a wireless headset, thats why they use the green screen behind him. Even if they dont photoshop the headset out he will look cool to Republicans.

[gladys46]

Sure, and O will concede that to him .... respect for the elderly! Even with "bump" (hidden instructional tapes) ... O will overwhelm JM 'cause JM's policies are rediculous!!

[lexnekst]

Obama just didn't wanna give him all the extra air time and buzz that Obama carries.

The winner is never begging for a re-match.

[gifu]

McCain looks so old in the lead in picture---I cannot wait for these two to start standing side by side on TV this fall. The contrasting image of young vs. old is going to be McCain's downfall--as much as his flip-flops and support of the Iraq war. We live in a culture that begs for the image of youth, at all costs, anymore. Look at how the young, inexperienced Bush knocked McCain back into the stone age in the 2000 elections. It was not because of his Bush's resume that he became the nominee in 2000 over the very popular John McCain. He was the fresh new face of the Republican party. Bush Sr. used Quayle for the same purpose in 1988 to counter balance his finger-wagging, old man image. Wake up this time, folks.

[venicesurfer]

when is obama going to debate mccain? remember he said once, "anythime, anywhere"?

he needs to man up and debate. write a piece on that.

[gditty]

McCain is doing well enough debating against himself...­.flip flop, flip flop, flip flop...

[msemper]

I guess you are one of those low info voters...l­ol. the debate stuff don't start until after the conventions remember obama and mccain are not official until then..

[JessWonderin]

DETAILS!!!

Can't McCain concede now? . . . oh, yea . . . not the official candidate . . . .yet?

[AlteSoldier]

McCain always sounds to me like a man that does not know what he is talking about. Even at his town hall events he talks as if he is a student that has to give an oral report but has not internalized the facts. McCain just stumbles over facts and tries to kid his audience into thinking he knows what he is talking about when he really does not. mcCain is like Bush in so many ways.

[MrsPeel]

AlteSoldier,

Well described! Thanks.

MP

[tlgeiger62]

"...McCain always sounds to me like a man that does not know what he is talking about."

I absolutely agree. Seeing him speak in NM just looked like complete bluster. And all the applause seemed very much appreciated since it was less time for McCain himself to fill.

[Russycle]

Good point. I've been to a couple town hall-style meetings with my congressman (Pete DeFazio, D-OR), and he blows McCain out of the water. How did this guy get to be the (presumed) Republican nominee? Or even a senator?

I watched the clip on the Daily Show where McCain was asked about Gramm's "whiner" comment, and it was painful watching him squirm. If the Republicans do switch nominees at the convention, it would probably be a blessing for him.

[Paprikapink]

I think that when he ran for senator he was running as himself. Now he's trying to invent some caricature of a candidate that will not offend the ultra-right and not offend the middle right and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with his actual beliefs or principles­...his abandoned principles, that is. He's becoming a tragic, hollow figure.

[JoeBlough]

In lockup back in the 1960s, now he is qualified.

[ResearchGuy]

Bingo. He spews talking points and meandering blather. Yet the press gives him a free ride. The man lacks the mental capacity for executive office.

[PioneerKing]

MAYHILL:

You state "I want John McCain to do well this summer." What you have not explained is why you claim to support Hillary Clinton if you want McCain to do well.
McCain's policies are so oppoiste Hillary's that you support for McCain makes you appear as though you really didn't believe in Hillary you simply are casting your support towards McCain because he is white.
If you want the best canidate to be president why would you support someone who is so experienced that he makes the worst mistakes and his oratory is nothing but mindless blathering.

"John McCain is no longer able to muster the facts necessary for spirited discourse. He is not the master of policy detail that is required now, in 2008, to make a credible run for the presidency. Ironically, we have George Bush to thank for raising the bar. The American people are no longer willing -- at least, I believe this to be so -- to proffer their trust to a candidate merely because of his good humor and personality. From what I've seen of John McCain in the summer's town hall meetings, he relies entirely too much on jokes and bonhomie to slide past the specifics he may not be able to recall quite in the moment."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mayhill-fowler/john-mccains-fake-town-ha_b_113041.html

[Paprikapink]

I gathered from this piece that Fowler wants McCain to do well because she thinks it's healthier for the country to have real debate...t­wo viable contenders is a better contest than one clear winner and one clear loser.

[socialdemocracy1968]

It'd be one thing to wish for healthy debate, but I don't think any of McCain's points, proposals, and policies constitute such. In fact, they are diseased in their nature and will only pollute the climate of the election similar to what Bush and Co. did in years past. Obama must take him down while he's faltering, but he must not give him a chance to wrong-foot the Democrats. Too much is at stake.

[JeremyHeiken]

Very well done and thank you for the insight. I am very much of fan of Mayhill Fowler's commentary during this election cycle due to her keen ability to be objective.

[JJeff88]

That was a nice soul searching piece.

The temptation to control things too closely threatens the genuiness of both campaigns.

[elfpix]

Obama has too much work to do getting up to speed in all the areas of policy and with all the people he needs to get to vote for him to take time out to campaign with McCain before the convention. This is his summer of introduction and listening.

After the convention I'll bet he'll be looking to have some more unscripted events with McCain.

[MrsPeel]

Dear Mayhill Fowler:

Exactly as 'elpix' says above. Obama has so much work to do, he'd be crazy to engage in town hall meetings to which both candidates would contrive and pander.

I also agree with those who say that if Obama engaged with McCain via town halls, it would elevate McCain's appearance to major media event status. I didn't read many posts below, so apologies to those posts I didn't read when I single out Kane as also being exactly on point.

Regarding your statement, "It's not good for Senator Obama, who already exudes enough confidence to power a wind turbine...­": Just imagine how much more viciously the political vultures (527s) would prey on Obama if he showed chinks in his armour; if he clowned around and made jokes; if he stammered like McCain did at the Viagara/birth control question; if he was "misspoke" as often as McCain does about geopolitics.

As the first African-American presidential candidate, Obama has matters to contend with we can't even imagine. What you write sounds idyllic rather than reality-based. Thus, I find much of what you wrote in your overly long piece to be without merit.

[tlgeiger62]

Well said:

"Just imagine how much more viciously the political vultures (527s) would prey on Obama if he showed chinks in his armour...A­s the first African-American presidential candidate, Obama has matters to contend with we can't even imagine. "

And seeing him each day coming out and handling it the way he does continues to inspire me. What amazes me endlessly is all those that don't see that this is the man we need in the White House.

[SilviaMaria]

"John McCain talks about an event in Silicon Valley, California, he recently attended where he met two guys who have built a $100,000 electric car."

Regarding this comment, I would recommend you all to go and rent the documentary "Who Kill the Electric Car?", and see for yourselves how short-sighted GM was when they decided to stop investing in them and destroyed all the cars.

[BottomLine2008]

It's called the Tesla roadster.

Your governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, talks about it ALL THE TIME.

Do you pay any attention living in Northern California?

>>>"John McCain talks about an event in Silicon Valley, California, he recently attended where he met two guys who have built a $100,000 electric car."

[JeremyHeiken]

As an environmental scientist with first-hand knowledge of the environmental, regulatory and economic context of U.S. electric car development, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" is and was a ridiculous farce. And I am a bleeding heart liberal and a strident environmentalist and damn proud of both labels. But the documentary could not have been further from the truth. It was so incredibly poor in communicating any of the key facts surrounding the issue. It was incredibly disappointing to see the film on so many levels for me personally.

Bottom line, see it if you want, bur realize there is no truth in what is conveyed.

[jp5472]

As a mechanical engineer with a strong background in the electrical area as well, the documentary was not a farce at all. The technology exists, has existed, and is completely viable. Also, having started my career as an engineer with GM and then moving to Ford, I have seen these companies quash new technology and new ideas until they reach a point where they are finally forced to do something (as in today). These companies histories of quashing advances in technology and in safety are known by many and have been documented since the days, at least, of the Tucker. You see, new technology means new tooling (not just stamping out the old that money was already spent putting into place), new distribution methods (with different power sources, we'll need to revamp = money). There have been instances in the last several years alone of cars catching on fire because the part that needed replacing would have cost pennies, but Accounting didn't want the bill for pennies accrued over hundreds of thousands of units.

Finally, carbon based fuels over the life of a vehicle gum up and/or break down engines, fuel delivery parts etc. The replacement part industry has been a cash cow for the auto makers for a century. Designed in obsolescence aside, with newer technology, these automakers fear that cash cow changing as well.

[BlueZoo]

Sounds to me like McCain's sham town hall meetings are his way of practicing for the sham press conferences his predecessor holds!

[customgreen]

It seems to me that the two camps could hammer out a way that there would be true representation in a town hall audience. Give the audience problem to an independant third party to set up.
McCain has a real problem in an unstructured setting, and even a bigger problem in a structured setting. He can be folksy in person but stiff in front of an audience. Obama on the other hand has a very anoying stammer, and he pauses way to much. He always looks like he is being too careful and not real. Giving canned speaches is one thing, being real (or seeming real) is the test that people want to see. That is where Bill Clinton crushed others. He could talk to anyone any time anywhere.

[CtJean]

Giving any third party money to solve the audience problem?

Recipe for disaster. Can you say - how much money do you want?

Buy and sell - that's the ticket

O doesn't need this, thank you very much

[cynara]

I was at the NCLR conference. It was impossible to get a pass to the Obama event. For the McCain event, people kept trying to give away tickets. There were 300+ Obama supporters outside on Sunday (when he spoke) and zero supporters outside for McCain when he spoke (just protestors from the left and the right...)