Debate Prep
Let’s review the events of the last week or so for the McCain team. On Thursday, McCain precipitously withdrew from MI–the MI GOP seemed to have no warning, and his offices were already packing up and closing on Saturday. McCain then spent the weekend sequestered with his advisors in Sedona (though he did take a break on Saturday for a Happy Meal). He’s got an event in NM today (a state where Obama leads polling by greater margins than he does in MI), but the weekend retreat was notable for the way it served not just as time to retool the campaign (and, desperately, to try to count to 270) but also to prep for the debate on Tuesday. Indeed, the campaign seems to be tying their new campaign roll-out to Tuesday’s debate.
Asked at a Colorado town hall, "When are you going to take the gloves off?" the candidate grinned and replied, "How about Tuesday night?"
[snip]
A senior aide said the campaign will wait until after Tuesday’s debate to decide how and when to release new commercials, adding that McCain and his surrogates will continue to cast Obama as a big spender, a high taxer and someone who talks about working across the aisle but doesn’t deliver.
Now, that’s not entirely true–that the campaign would wait until Tuesday to roll out its new recycled smears. Sarah Palin’s been accusing Obama of palling around with terrorists since Saturday.
But it does set up a remarkable dynamic for tomorrow’s debate. After losing two debates in a row, the McCain team seems to believe it can use the next debate as an opportunity relaunch its entire campaign.
Obviously, this is the debate format McCain prefers.
Second presidential debate: all topics in town meeting format, moderated by Tom Brokaw
Tuesday, October 7, Belmont University, Nashville, TN-Two-minute answers, followed by one-minute discussion for each question.
Or should I say preferred. McCain won New Hampshire by doing about a million town halls; and he used them a lot early in the summer. But around mid-summer (when Steve Schmidt took over the campaign, I think), McCain started vetting the attendees of these town halls. And as the WSJ points out, he has really cut back the number of town halls he is doing. In other words, McCain used to like the unscripted format of town halls, but has grown sour on them.
I’m guessing the McCain team crafted their attempt to go negative around this town hall believing they could get participants to pick up the themes they’re emphasizing in their ads: Rezko, Ayers, and (in 527 ads, though not directly) Wright. Perhaps they believed they could change the subject by seeding questions for tomorrow and then pointing back at the town hall to claim that voters were obsessed with smears of Obama.
As if could change the concerns of Americans who were losing their jobs and homes just by hoping those concerns would go away. At a time when the market has fallen below 10,000. Yup.
And how stupid of them, then, to announce they were planning on doing so. Not only could and has the Obama campaign pointed out that McCain’s got his own troubling associations: Gramm, Singlaub, and Liddy, for example–to say nothing of Sarah’s pastor problem and her own ties to separtist terrorists.
But it was a giant invitation for the Obama campaign to go where they haven’t gone (but they’ve been preparing to go) yet: to Keating. (The Obama campaign will release a documentary at noon on Keating, too.)
In other words, the McCain team invited the Obama team to point out that John McCain has a history of corruption that leads to the kind of crises we’re undergoing. Just in time for that history to become a topic in tomorrow’s debate.
Is there any information on how the audience will be chosen or if questions are pre-screened in any way?
They are usually pre-screened- submitted, reviewed and organized- then moderator allows the questioner to ask the candidate.
So Brokaw can stack the deck toward wright/ayers bullshit issues or focus on important things, but the questions come from the audience.
The real question is how “stacked” is the audience. If they are Obama people, or even “normal” electorate, McCain is dead. Yet, if audience is stacked for McCain, there will be a lot of charged questions.
It is going to be interesting and a bit unpredictable. Who knows how tight a rein Brokaw will have/keep.
the debate is set in nashville, which interestingly could go either way. loads of die-hard repugs there, of both the spoiledrichit’sallmine variety, as well as the redneck types.
however, vandy is there, and there seems to be a reasonably active dem party, especially with the youth. it will be most interesting to see how that balance is handled.
and if the rules of the past debates hold, then the audience won’t be allowed to respond with applause, etc. (note that the veep debate saw one moment when those rules were broken when biden noted that mccain’s health care policies were a ‘road to nowhere.’
i also paid attention during the past two debates to the cnn polling of uncommitted voters scrolling in the bottom third throughout. i was struck how those lines would plummet whenever palin would attack obama, not that i necessarily think they were obama supporters, but because her attacks were so personal and without policy specification (and often lies, which they may have been savvy enough to know). bottom line is i don’t think the electorate is up for anymore slime; they know mccain started all this, and as long as obama defends himself with the truth as opposed to mccain’s lies, the public will get it.
we can hope.
I’ll be there. The democrats have a visibility program, with strong efforts to get people out. My friend will be there at 5:30 AM to make the Today Show, and other morning shows, and then for Chris Matthews et al. (is Rachel going to be there?)
i thought Brokaw was going to read some e-mails, too. may be wrong about that, though. What’s the 1 minute discussion? Back and forth between BO & McSame? Doesn’t seem like very long for “discussion”.
1 minute is too long: I guess McCain can just keep repeating “Wright, Ayers” until the minute is over (regardless of topic being covered).
Obama’s ace in the hole is that people want to discuss economy and how to fix it. And the ~5% drop in stock market we’ll see today will make these issues more apparent (true that Dow Jones is not an indication of the economy is doing well or not, but it has become a good surrogate especially for those of us <20 years from retirement that saw our IRAs and 401Ks get devastated).
i’m kinda slow here. is it question; 2 minute answer; rebuttal? will ‘discussion start withn a rebuttal? then time for sur-rebuttal? who knows? we’ll see.
McBush’s main goal in setting up the debates was to try to minimize Obama speaking skills. McBush does better in a sound bite kind of world, he can stay on message that way.
Boxturtle (Thinks GSK would be a good investment in today’s market. They make Tums)
McCain’s ideal debate format is a show of hands.
Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye) – Steam – 1969
Thanks ew.
digg
So both sides are really dependent on Brokaw. The media has turned on McBush recently so while they may have been confortable with Brokaw earlier they can’t be looking forward to it now. I’m betting we hear very little of terrorists and a lot about economics.
I disagree with the idea that the GOP is going to start abandoning ship. I think they’ll start swiftboating with a vengence.
Boxturtle(I wonder if McBush will use his time to answer the questions or to change the subject)
So both sides are really dependent on Brokaw.
great – starting the game two touchdowns behind.
Brokaw on MTP yesterday, after showing a clip of McGramps at his sarcastic, snarling, full-goose-gonzo asshole-ish worst, replied essentially – “Isn’t he great? That’s the John McCain we all know and love…”
shit.
saw that. the interview with demoines register.
His NM event is here in Albuquerque, 11:30am @ UNM. I plan to be there, and have a few well thought out questions w/which I will be well poised should any opportunity arise to ask them.
Huge amounts of my time online last few weeks devoted to USD/bailout/econ issues, and I’m pretty well versed… depressingly well versed. For me, the absolute dire situation and rather dramatic changes needed here to correct things casts a much larger and distinct shadow on McCain given his attempts to co-opt the issue this last week, and to do so w/bull shit.
That they would do this in freewheeling election w/out pending economic collapse on the table is one thing. That they persist under these circumstances only heightens my disdain. That Pallin is sharpening here tongue w/”Obama’s palling around w/terrorists” comments has pushed my disgust-o-meter to new heights. (Our morning’s paper-of-record quoted here yesterday as saying… “the heels are on and the gloves are off”.)
Geezus… God help us.
Hey! About time; long time no see. Give em hell. Is it at The Pit?
no, student union building. Announcement doesn’t say where in SU, but there’s a pavillion outside surrounded by large courtyard so that’s where I expect it to be.
I’ll be heading out pretty quick (it’s near 10:30 here).
I’ll be curious to hear about the make-up in the audience.
Not only is he spending time in a state where he’s losing worse than he is in MI. But he’s doing it on a college campus.
Jeebus. Do these guys want to lose?
I’ll put my take on that up here later today.
I have no idea what to expect (Is “the heels are on” going to be there?). One thing, however: there is a small but very visible/vocal FEDERALIST SOCIETY group and UNM’s law school. They sponsor frequent events, and for a while I attended. Guests from CATO, CLAREMONT & HOOVER INST. among those I’ve seen. These things were, for me, shockingly scary… I’m familiar w/FEDERALIST’s and all, but seeing these young aspiring legal folks bantering all this stuff around & “led-on” by the guest speakers… honestly, left me numb.
I meant to add end of #21 comment: w/out be snarky, those your FEDERALISTs sounded like 1000 points of UNITARY EXECUTIVE incarnate.
…
OT, but… in all my thinking re: econ meltdown I’ve had my share of “if things were the way they should be” moments. W/that in mind, Barry Ritholtz has a post up that pretty much verbalizes my such moments precisely.
Ok, I didn’t get in. Event was inside, I was told seating was 1200 and preticketed. AFAIK, this thing wasn’t announced ’till yesterday (???), so I guess one may have to be plugged into McCain’s operation to be aware of scheduling and such.
I was going mostly to observe, out of my own sense of focused, irrational curiosity.
Makeup of crowd by my unscientific estimates was +/- 50% young folks (22 and under… students?), the rest 30+ somethings well up to 60 or so. Not many older than that, however… eg. Soc Sec age.
I hung out in line for about 1/2 hr. till it became clear they’d have cacpacity (I was told I could get in if seats unfilled). I was with group of 4 women:
– late 50s retired military med lab tech, started a FARMERS INS office 5 yrs ago… says she’s doing great.
– 20 yr old sophomore RN student @ UNM, grew up in rural NM. Says her mom got pregnant w/her @ age 18… almost had an abortion then couldn’t go through w/it. Says mom collected welfare to pay bills/college, then raised this young woman & her younger sister. She said all this in context of blasting Obama for wanting to “tax to pay for abortions.” Kind’a simple minded IMO: a lot of “I love Heather Wilson”, “I hate Udall”… pretty much down the line. She also had much to say about “nobody understanding what’s going on w/economy”, including her “liberal sociology professor”… in which case, she may have been correct.
– Sister of above (RN student)… quiet, didn’t say much.
– Friend of RN from Los Alamos, no college/working as office person at lab up there. Evangelical X’stian, vocal (and irrational IMO) about it, and echoed same memes as RN: Obama wants to “kill babies”, “raise taxes”, etc. etc.
They all love Palin.
Mostly I just listened.
I did speak up wrt collective opinion of these women that “nobody understands” what’s going on w/economy. I put out a precise timeline back to ‘98, what was legislated & what followed, etc etc. The FARMERS’ woman thought Sarbane/Oxley was deregulation law (rather than correction for deregulation after Enron). The young student and her friend both thought “welfare state” was the problem.
They all just looked at me blank & empty eyed after I said my piece re “how we got here” wrt economy… clearly, they hadn’t heard any of this and it struck them somehow. Also clear they just don’t know what’s going on.
I wasn’t there to pick a fight and didn’t. But this is the state of things… a lot of ignorance, and a lot of bad information out there.
Of course McSame wants to talk about anything other than economics. From the NYDN this morning, my favorite line (re McCain “turning the page” from economy to personalities):
When Lupica goes over, McSame has a probbblem. Here’s hoping Brokaw gets the memo that personalities are no longer the issue – dollars and cents are.
Wonder if Brokaw will allow McCain to get away with repeating unsubstantiated claims about Iran? Both George Stephanapolous and Chris Matthews have.
Hell last Sunday on “Face the Nation” for the first time I heard Obama say “Iran IS developing nuclear weapons.” I have heard McCain and Palin repeat these unsubstantiated claims repeatedly along with the inaccurate and debunked “wipe Israel off the map” hogwash.
Will Brokaw allow McCain to repeat these lies about Iran? I hope the hell Obama does not repeat that inaccurate statement about Iran again.
Hope to hell Obama focuses on what the five former Secretaries of State agreed upon….diplomacy and negotiations with Iran is the only way to go.
Hope they bring up the latest National INtelligence Estimate on Iran
didn’t kissinger say after the 1st deabte that mccain’s explanation of his position was correct? stay away from kissinger.
I think Kissenger came out and said the President should not directly negotiate. That these negotiations should be at the Secretary of State level and can be done without pre-conditions.
Why is Kissenger’s opinion so treasured?
until the last debate i had compeltely forgotten about kissinger. why should his opinion be so treasured? alot of people have been asking that for a long time. no answer.
I know why Bush Administration would treasure his opinion. He’s a war criminal that got away with it nd travels (pretty) freely over most of the World. Bush and his entourage want his secret.
if joe sixpack is asking the questions, i think there will be more about the economy than iran, yes?
A note to Sarah. Joe Six Pac can think with his other head
Talked a dear friend into carrying my home made “Joe Six Pac for Obama” sign in Columbus yesterday at the Springsteen concert. (I am a soccer mom) There were hundreds of Joe Six Pacs at that concert for Obama. There are millions of Joe Six Pac’s across our nation for Obama. I hope they start a JSpac (political actions committee)
Joe Six Pac can think with the head that Sarah is not speaking to. Rise up Joe Six Pac. Show up at those rallies..show Sarah you can think
http://www.flickr.com/photos/b…..774979913/
Having Brokaw screen the questions will have the same result as vetting the audience in advance. McSame couldn’t survive a real town hall meeting.
Sinking campaigns ALWAYS start trashing, especially when they said they would never resort to doing it. And it almost never works. Why do they keep doing it? They’re politicians. Who knows why they do anything?
It’s been really annoying me lately that Obama isn’t allowed to get mad about things. I’m furious about this economic disaster and the idiots who drove us into it. Ten trillion dollars in debt and NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT! 700 Billion and all we get for it is bad debts. I know I’m not alone here. We’re pissed off.
I would love for Obama – or SOMEBODY – to channel that anger and just set off on McCain. McCain’s stupid economic principles are falling apart as he speaks them. The Republicans were worse than a total failure. They need to be shouted down for their stupidity. They need to be humbled and humiliated. Unfortunately, Obama doesn’t want to be seen as an angry black man. He’s not allowed to get angry at all.
(McCain isn’t allowed to get angry either because then he’ll be seen as the grumpy old senile fool that he is, but what’s he got to be angry about? That he’s losing.)
“Moderated by Tom Brokaw.” There’s a contradiction in terms. Why doesn’t it say, “Moderated by Paul Krugman”? Or James Galbraith, or Noam Chomsky. Liberal bias my ass.
sarah palin just committed political suicide
her “paling around with terrorists” line ???
you don’t come back from something like that
not when you have been “Paling around with terrorists” yourself
the Alaska Independence Party is a terrorist organization. the founder of the Alaska Independence Party was murdered during a failed attempt to purchase plastic explosives
what does the Alaska Independence Party need plastic explosives for ???
I know people who purchase plastic explosives LEGALLY
there are LEGAL uses for plastic explosives
since the founder of the Alaska Independence Party chose to engage in an ILLEGAL PURCHASE of plastic explosives, we can safely assume he wasn’t intending a legal use for the EXPLOSIVES
from there, it’s just some reading and deducing to find out that sarah palin and timothy mcvey are BIRDS OF A FEATHER
HOME GROWN AMERICAN TERRORISTS
you don’t come back from something like that
and SHE BROUGHT IT UP, so it’s a legitimate avenue of investigation
time to have an official investigation of a terrorist organization, folks
bye sarah
Time to calmly and meticulously lay out on the guest room bed all of John Sidney McCain’s dirty laundry. He has plenty, stretching back to high school in Arlington, but most of all, from his “maverick” days in the Senate.
Obama need only give us his trademarked, confident recitation of the facts. The stains, the fraudulent laundry marks, the accumulated aroma will speak for themselves.
Spell John McCain in nine letters: H-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y. Or ask Sarah Palin to do it: h-i-p-p-o-k-r… oh, never mind. You betcha.
When she meets Cheney. Hope her first question is “Can I call ya Dick”?
with or without a comma before the last word? You decide. Works both ways.
GOOD shot! *g*
you just provided me with a a vision of what hell has in store for dick cheney
satan will probably use anna nicole smith on cheney instead of sarah palin
sarah would be better punishment for the repuglitards other dick
and nixon’s been waitin for a room mate in hell for a long time now …
OT If you were a foreign student currently studying in the US (at a state school in Massachusetts) and you had a problem with your Visa and you had limited financial resources, to whom would you turn for experienced and inexpensive or pro bono legal assistance?
Call Kerry or Kennedy offices? Have a friend do so?
Good luck. Unsettling times, these!
alternatively, call Obama office?
McCain then spent the weekend sequestered with his advisors in Sedona (though he did take a break on Saturday for a Happy Meal).
An appropriate reward for his childish “maverickyness”
do they still give away toys with those things? where are they made? shouldn’t they double-check for the lead content of the paint, hidden magnets or mikes, et al for such an esteemed maverick, or has he eschewed safety of self the way he has for the rest of us more compassionate heathens?
I just scribbled something downstairs that kinda applies here too. Would appreciate impressions/comment, thanks.
http://emptywheel.firedoglake……ent-104352
Maybe its time for Obama to McCain out on sitting on the Abramoff evidence gathered in the Senate committee McCain chaired.
”call” even