"Barack Obama offered to meet John McCain at five joint appearances between now and Election Day -- the three traditional debates plus a joint town hall on the economy in July and an in-depth debate on foreign policy in August. That package of five engagements would have been the most of any Presidential campaign in the modern era -- offering a broad range of formats -- and representing a historic commitment to openness and transparency.

"It's disappointing that Senator McCain and his campaign decided to decline this proposal. Apparently they would rather contrive a political issue than foster a genuine discussion about the future of our country.

"Senator Obama believes that the American people deserve an open and accessible debate as they choose between real change and four more years of failed Bush policies, and he welcomed McCain's invitation to offer voters 'the rare opportunity of witnessing candidates for the highest office in the land discuss civilly and extensively the great issues at stake in the election.'"


Actually McCain offered more meetings and debates in the town hall format first and Obama rejected it first then came with that offer which is far less than McCain wanted. I believe McCain wanted 10 town hall joint sessions.

Kaz mentioned that in his post which I was responding to.

If American citizens care about their (and by extension, the world's) economic vitality, homeland security, a health plan thats actually workable and viable, and Iraq ending in a way that doesn't result in the complete annihilation of hundreds of thousands more innocent Iraqis, McCain will win.

If they don't, Barack Obama will.

I don't even think it will be close. Obama will dominate. I also predict a few more Democratic seats in both houses of the Congress.

Yes I'm a huge liberal, so far left I left the political spectrum (yuk yuk yuk), but this isn't wishful thinking.

I think a lot of swing voters will be voting against McCain because he thinks you have to make $5 million per year to be rich, he doesn't remember how many houses he owns, and his voting record is a little too close to Bush's. People despise Bush more than anything, and will either vote against McCain or abstain because of their alleged similarities, even the ones that aren't real.

The 5 meetings was a "compromise attempt."

McCain wanted 10. Obama wanted 3.

The format differnece is a way to nuetralize the effect of the debates however.

People no longer have the attention span for the Lincoln Douglas style debates... whose 150 year annivesary just started this month I believe.  People will just tune out.

Town hall debates are the best format because they allow the people to ask the questions that are important to them and the candidates are unprepaired and less likely to be able to talk their way around the issues.

Actually people despite the congress more. The democrats promised to stop the "Do Nothing" congres and to impeach bush.. or at least consdier it.

Since then they've done nothing and sat on their hands.

People aren't happy... and the Congress has a lower approval rating then Bush.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/108010/Bush-Congress-Supreme-Court-Near-Historical-Low-Approval.aspx

Though oddly the democrats will likely pick up a lot of seats.

Whoa, that was really interesting. Apparently the only time since 1974 that the majority of people approved of the Congress was a reaction to the World Trade Center attack. Hahaha. Shit, that spike is insane.






If everybody hates every Congress forever, that approval rating becomes kinda meaningless. Yeah, the infamously hated Democratic Congress will become even more Democratic this November. Definitely.

A harsh way to put it, but I agree that McCain is better. However, in response to the title, I'd say that Obama is more likely to win.

The Ghost of RubangB said: Whoa, that was really interesting. Apparently the only time since 1974 that the majority of people approved of the Congress was a reaction to the World Trade Center attack. Hahaha. Shit, that spike is insane. If everybody hates every Congress forever, that approval rating becomes kinda meaningless. Yeah, the infamously hated Democratic Congress will become even more Democratic this November. Definitely.

Sure it does. People are just used to hating their congress and not doing anything about it. So cognress is more despised yet less is done about it. Congres usually has a higher approval rating then where Bush is at currently though.  So it shows quite disproval with congress as well i'd say.

It's got everything to do with the 2 party system.

For exaple i live in Dennis Kusnich's district.

Ask the majority of people who live here what they think of him... and they'll say he's an asshole who wastes time and money running for president when he knows he can't win and ignoring his duty to the county.

Yet he keeps getting reelected. Why? Cause his opponents are usually republican and nobody knows any democrat that challenges him in the primary.

Most counties are like this and stuck with the same few assholes they hate, but hate slightly less then the other guy.

Hahaha, poor old Kooch, bless his tiny heart.

I bet he knows how many houses he has. Sucker used to sleep in his car.