Could McCain Take Obama Back To School?

Dan McLaughlin, the Baseball Crank, adds to the list of a great ideas that will never happen:

An idea; a proposal: John McCain should challenge Barack Obama to a week-long set of town-hall debates (say, 4-5 of them) on college campuses when the college kids go back to school in late August/early September. Such debates could be concentrated specifically in the Big Ten schools (Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio St) and other swing-state universities (U. Missouri) that can produce huge audiences in close proximity to where the candidates will already be campaigning. I'm sure MTV could be lined up to host the debates in as wide-open a format, with no pre-screening of the audience, as possible.

Dan thinks McCain will do well before such an audience; I agree.  McCain rocked the house at Villanova on Hardball.  Being a genuine American hero counts for something, even on a college campus.

Left unmentioned by the Baseball Guy - even granting that the crowds will love him, does Obama really benefit from video of adoring college kids cheering for him?  How many middle-aged working class votes will that swing?  Sorry, swing to Obama?

Well, it will never happen - Team Obama will see the non-upside and find a reason to duck this.  Take away his teleprompter and Obama's afraid.  Whatever.

MORE:  Hmm, I had thoughts on McCain's youth appeal a while back.  Has Obama been afraid all of his life?  I don't know.

Comments

[kim]

Of course. Wouldn't you be?
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[Appalled]

Our host here sounds bitter. TM, Are you clinging to your religion and your guns? I want to make sure I'm not at risk for thunderbolts or machine gun fire...

[Jane]

I do think Obama is afraid. He doesn't know what he doesn't know. That speaks to his vapid experience going in. The best part of the 40's decade for me was that I finally knew what I didn't know. And on the heels of that comes confidence.

Obama is confident about his ability to use a teleprompter and make people swoon. Not much else from what I can see.

[kim]

Have the Democrats miscarried a promising candidate, or is he clinging to life in the incubator?
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[kim]

I say clinging to life; they seem to be working on a birth certificate.
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[kim]

The Breacher Bubble and Raffle Church. Aren't you Appalled?
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[BobS]

I know I live in McCain Land - Bud Day's hometown - but I still see Obama's popularity shrinking. Not Growing.

Polls still have not adjusted to changes in the telephone habits of Americans. I for one have gone cellular. I took informer surveys of my students during the school year and it appeared that 1 in 4 families no longer used land line phones.

Despite that clear favoritism Obama enjoys in the media, his rush to the center for the election populism is fact checked in a far more effective manner than ever before. A growing number of Americans no longer depend just on sound bites and headlines. The numbers show sharp decline in folks who watch nightly news and read newspapers.

[bad]

The fear explains his baseless warnings of "they" coming after him to call him black.

It also explains why he carries the gun when "they" bring a knife to the fight.

Or maybe the fear is simply because he is a battered husband.

[centralcal]

bad, Townhall has a piece by D'nesh Desouza (or however you spell his name) pretty much saying what you just did. Sorry, I am off to work and don't have a link, but you can also find his article at Lucianne - just scroll down.

I got a laugh out of comparing MO to James Brown instead of Jacquie Kennedy (at Lucianne). Kinda works for me!

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

Seems there are counter arguments to the notion that war heros make good presidents.

link

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He was one of the most highly decorated United States Navy pilots in the Vietnam War, receiving the Navy Cross once, the Silver Star twice, the Air Medal 15 times, and the Purple Heart for wounds he received under enemy fire.

--snip--

During his service, Cunningham and his Radar Intercept Officer "Irish" Driscoll became the only Navy aces in the Vietnam War

--snip--

On November 28, 2005, Cunningham pled guilty to tax evasion, conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, and wire fraud in federal court in San Diego.

--snip--

Cunningham's attorney, Mark Holscher, later said that the government's evidence was so overwhelming that he had no choice but to recommend a guilty plea.[33] With the plea bargain, Cunningham faced a maximum of 10 years; had he fought the charges, Cunningham risked spending the rest of his life in prison.
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[Semanticleo]

Maguire;

It's Show Biz, and McCain (with his Tutor, GWB) loves him those Kleig Lights. The gossamer wings and fantasy atmosphere has
you folks dreaming of fluffy pork pies like
the NEW GI Bill.

Although they had no role in baking that pastry, the flaky remnants of it's crust festoon their gravy stained vests.

It's a genuine reality show. Call it
"American Idolatry"

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

Both Bob Dole and BushI lost to Clinton; seems the public prefers youth and energy to combat experience.

[Pofarmer]

Bush I lost to Perot.

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

McCain 2008:
Corked Wine for a Change

[Chris]

Jane,
"He doesn't know what he doesn't know."
Dead on. That's not the scary part, however. Neither he nor his following seem to care much. If it happened before they were born, it doesn't matter much. If something they don't know falls under the military category, it's just filed under the general purpose heading of "evil" and therefore no further thought is required.

89,
You're here early. Working a double shift for the messiah today? Cunningham? Did you think we were unaware? Relevance? Oh, yea. He was a corrupt Republican pol. Fortunately for you, we don't have any examples to point to on the left. Last I heard he was doing a stint in the federal pen. Most. Ethical. Congress. In. History.

[bgates]

fluffy pork pies like the NEW GI Bill.
Is there a new new GI bill? Because I remember you saying McCain's opposition to the new GI Bill was egregious.

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

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Bush I lost to Perot.
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A theory supported by the observation that lunacy is attractive to the republican electorate.

[centralcal]

Chris: 89 is compulsive/obsessive and will always turn up when he knows someone -- anyone -- will engage with him. That is his schtick.

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

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Relevance?
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Lots of talk from republicans that being a war hero implies fitness for office, yet countervailing arguments (like Cunningham) don't seem to be part of the conversation.

[Semanticleo]

"opposition to the new GI Bill was egregious."

Still is:

But, the stink from that episode pales in comparison with his taking credit for same.

[Chris]

"Lots of talk from republicans that being a war hero implies fitness for office,..."

Where? Citation, please. It's a clever but transparent reframing which tries to paper over O's lack of ANY relevant experience. McCain has experience, part of which is his having served honorably, above and beyond the call. Not the sum and total by any means.

[Porchlight]

Dan thinks McCain will do well before such an audience; I agree.

I've mentioned this in past threads - I have an old high school buddy who does lighting design for the MTV/MySpace "Presidential Dialogue" tour. He traveled with the candidates all through the primaries, and reports that McCain did great with college age audiences. He was relaxed, funny, and consistently a hit. My friend is a diehard Democrat but said he really ended up liking McCain a lot after several of these events.

[glasater]

Obama is confident about his ability to use a teleprompter and make people swoon. Not much else from what I can see

Jane--forgive me for going on a riff from your comment--but I don't think BHO likes "girls" all that much.
Just watching body language when he does the rope lines.

[Rick Ballard]

Cunningham's conviction provides a roadmap for Fitz to use should he decide to prosecute Obama. The Rezko Slumlord group could not have gone forward without Obama's water carrying regarding the bill which changed the makeup of the boards distributing pelf in Illinois. The 'quid pro quo' is clear and all that remains is for Fitz to extract the information necessary from Rezko in exchange for a sentencing recommendation.

My bet is that Fitz goes after Blag rather Obama though. I don't think he really has the backbone to take on Obama.

Let's see, Jefferson's trial is now scheduled for February, Rezko's sentencing for September and who knows when Conyer's will be charged - but we do know that a target letter has been issued. Has Kwame Kilpatrick's trial date been set?

As to TM's question "Has Obama been afraid all of his life?", I'm sure that there was a time while he was at madrassa in Indonesia during which he felt relatively secure. At least until his mother pitched him. After that, the answer would be "no", not a day.

[Soylent Red]

glasater:

Are you saying Obama is gay?* How does that fit in with the notion that Obama is a Muslim?

/dog whistle

It would explain a lot about being married to Michelle, who is essentially an angry Teamster trapped in a black female lawyer's body.

[Jane]

That's funny Glasater, Amy and I were talking this morning about obviously gay (effeminate) men that you see (happily) married to women. Most of them treat the women like their mothers not their lovers. It's an odd sort of uber-left phenomena.

[Thomas Collins]

The point of McCain's military service is not that it gave him automatic foreign policy experience, but that it is is an indication of how he reacts under duress. McCain stood up to torture at the Hanoi Hilton, and B57O gets rattled when reporters ask him too many questions. Whom do you wanting taking the 3 am call?

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

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Cunningham's conviction provides a roadmap
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Take inspiration where you can find it I guess.

[BobS]

Jane's obviously part of the "Save the Males" movement. Thank you.

[centralcal]

Jane - Hit and Run, hit and ran over on the "Ask a Silly Question" thread. Sounds like he is really enjoying his vacation and beer guzzling. grin.

[Porchlight]

I would also argue that McCain's POW experience gave him up close experience with the nature of the enemy. Hard to pull the wool over the eyes of someone who's been through that. In contrast, BHO doesn't seem to be able to get beyond UN-style warm fuzzies at the idea of Talking To Everybody. He is and will be easily manipulated.

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

---
It's an odd sort of uber-left phenomena.
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Yes, Clinton comes to mind.

Better file that under 'things you know that you don't know'.

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

---
It's an odd sort of uber-left phenomena.
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And of course Larry Craig and Mark Foley wouldn't be incorporated into your model.

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

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He is and will be easily manipulated.
---

So far he's beaten the Clinton machine, taken over Bill's party, and is currently beating McCain; Obama seems to have a pretty good grasp of reality to me.

Or are you thinking the Clintons are peace-and-love-let's-hug-each-other sorta people?

That's certainly not the way republicans have been portraying them for almost 20 years.

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

---
I would also argue that McCain's POW experience gave him up close experience with the nature of the enemy. Hard to pull the wool over the eyes of someone who's been through that.
---

And yet your hard-eyed realist was completely blind-sided by the Bush campaign in 2000.

[Sue]

Dear Lord. The craziness continues.

[Sue]

One time, a long time ago, an old lady told me that someday we would be asked to denounce Israel. We would have to hide our Bibles. We would have to hide our Christianity. I thought she was bat shit crazy. I couldn't figure out how on earth she thought something like that would happen. She never mentioned Islam or I would be flipping out right about now. I think she had the "eye", if you know what I mean. Lately, I've thought about that old lady a lot.

[glasater]

Wasn't it Rosemary Rogers who wrote about muslim men and how they were kinda/sorta switch hitters?:-)

[glasater]

Sue--I heard that same thing (hiding Christianity) when I was a kid.

[bad]

The craziness continues.

Slightly adrift from your point. Wasn't there some flap a while back about more black dogs go unadopted from shelters? Can't remember if that was a local or national issue.

[Sue]

glasater,

Did we know the same old woman? ::grin::

[Cecil Turner]

TM,
IMHO this thread illustrates yet again that 89 is an active hindrance to discussion.

[bad]

One time, a long time ago, an old lady told me that someday we would be asked to denounce Israel.

The lefties are way ahead of the curve on this one.

[glasater]

Did we know the same old woman?

I'm thinkin':-)

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

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Did we know the same old woman?
---

When I was a kid my mother's aunt told me that when man set foot on the moon it would turn to blood.

So of course I got up in the middle of the night to go look; sounded like quite a show.

[glasater]

I've photographed the lunar eclipse this last February and the images show an interesting red color.

[bad]

bad, Townhall has a piece by D'nesh Desouza (or however you spell his name) pretty much saying what you just did.

Oh carp!! I finally have a coherant thought and its already been done.

[MikeS]

John McCain should challenge Barack Obama to...

Mac should offer a new challenge to Obama every week. He should claim credit for getting Obama to flip flop on the issues. McCain should also try to anticipate where Obama will next try to change his position (as on removing troops from Iraq for example), and Mac should preemptively advise Obama to make that change in his position.

[eightnine2718281828mu5e]

---
interesting red color.
---

Yeah, I think if there are fires/volacnic eruptions it puts soot/dust into the air so the light passing through the atmosphere makes the moon look red.

The sunsets during Mt. Pinatubo's eruptions were pretty cool.

[MarkO]

89?

So far he's beaten the Clinton machine, taken over Bill's party, and is currently beating McCain; Obama seems to have a pretty good grasp of reality to me.

There is just no question that as a master of the tent show revival, Obama commands the reality of selling himself. And, we may well be in the time of everyman as President. But, he really has no substantive experience to be President. Because those of us who have previously been healed at prior tent shows have no basis on which to judge him, he asks us to believe that his overriding judgment and transcendence will vanquish all doubts and foes. Unfortunately, someone who openly says he will supplant King Canute and that only now we Americans have health care, seems to lack the judgment to be President, while clearly showing his grasp of the reality of being elected.

One could complain of his judgment in selecting friends, pastors, supporters and the like, but that would be applying the wrong criteria: Obama is nothing if not calculating and measured. He picked his pastor and his friends not for the ostensible purpose of religion or friendship, rather for his personal advancement (cf. the reason he dropped Wright). So, in this sense, his judgment was perfect.

That leaves us, however, with Obama the huckster, the phony, the eternal flip flopper, the nuanced, the Grand Excuser. Another round of Bill Clinton, only perhaps even less principled.

The reality he grasps is of a different order.