According to Shepard Smith of Fox "News":

"The McCain campaign distributed tickets to supporters, Mayor Bloomberg, who of course is a registered Republican, and other independent groups."

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/13/fox-admits-mccain-stacked-town-hall-with-supporters/

Don't know if this will merit another entry in the War Room blog but I thought it should be noted somewhere.

Maybe the reason the empty chair won't be used is that, in the military, an empty chair is often used at formal functions to symbolize comrades that can't be present for the event, such as POW/MIAs, sailors lost at sea, etc...

I would think that McCain, of all people, would know that, and probably squashed the plan proposed by some Republican flunkies who never served.

Yes, we agree. I was replying to a reply of a reply of a reply.

The first poster wrote, "I am still pissed at the Democratic party for nominating this stooge."

This was followed by an individual that pointed out that it was the voters that decided, not the DNC.

This was then followed by MICKI who said the superdelegates (e.g. the DNC) put Obama over the top.

Finally, I pointed out that, no, Obama was leading anyway and the superdelegates merely went with the individual that had an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates.

As a complete aside to the Salon staff, threaded messages would certainly be nice--where individuals could actually reply directly to another message instead of merely posting one letter in a long succession of letters. Just a thought and suggestion.

This is nothing more than a standard political tactic of an underdog.

What I find funny is that they are assuming this town hall style forum is a poor one for Obama. Boy will they be surprised. Obama is dynamic and energetic in an arena but he didn't get where he is and win the votes of millions of Americans without the town hall style interaction. Maybe McCain and his team actaully believe he doesn't know what he's talking about and couldn't answer tough questions.

Sad. But they'll find out.

Obama said repeatedly throughout the primary that we was ready, willing and able to have a debate with McCain on any number of issues. I'd bet he is. The man, besides being charismatic, is unquestionably intelligent and well informed (something the racist right cannot bring themselves to believe). Meanwhile McCain barely made it out of the military academy.

No worries. After Obama decimates McCain in the FIRST "town hall" debate, suddenly there won;t be calls for any more.

Nope. Let McCain come begging for a debate. We'll set the terms and the venue. And when we do, he can take it or leave it.

Ahhhh, feels good.

Hillary was more than 200 pledged delegates behind Obama. On June 3 end Obama only needed needed 64 delegates to get the magic number. He got 1/2 of those in pledged delegates on June 3.

It is over. Hillary lost, Obama won. End of story.

I kinda agree it's far from ideal to have Obama at "town hall" meetings with McCain run by Fux News.

The Lincoln-Douglass debate idea is the best. No moderator, no hordes of Fux news fans throwing tomatoes or asking about why McCain doesn't wear a lapel pin, etc etc.

Really, though, there are few things I look forward to as much as Obama and McCain actually having a substantive debate. I REALLY hope Obama has honored and revered McCain's service enough by now, so he can actually pull out the guns.

I have a little fantasy that Obama might annoy McCain enough to stomp across the stage and/or blow a blood vessel.

The superdelegates put him over the top. He did NOT have enough pledged delegates to nab the nomination.

So, the voters played a role, but the superdelegates decided.

At the end of the final primary, Obama led Clinton in pledged delegates 1766.5 to 1639.5. Because neither had enough pledged delegates to handily win the nomination, the superdelegates were going to have to step in regardless. The majority of them went with the individual that won most pledged delegates.

Had Clinton had more pledged delegates and the superdelagates put Obama over the top, you may have a point. However, seeing as that is not what happened, blaming the DNC is a bit misplaced. It is the voters that are ultimately responsible for the nomination of Barack Obama.

and maybe they could even discuss Lincoln, and his legacy, and how McCain is nothing like him

i'd be taller

lol

i'd be eager to debate McCain, but wary of walking into a trap

Fixxed News aside,

anyone remember when cherub-faced George Stephanopoulos spent the majority of the debate he was moderating playing Rev. Wright games?

And should insist on Lincoln Douglass debates. In Lincoln Douglass debate, the participants speak for themselves, set the tone of the debate, and cross examine each other.

McCain wants a, "town hall," where, instead of him having to get his hands dirty, some, "private citizen," will ask about Obama's lack of a flag lapel pin, or call his elementry school a madrassa. Why? Becuase he knows he can't get away with it himself, and he has a perfect excuse, in that he can't control the crowd.

If McCain wants that kind of smear to surface at the, "debate," he should have to say it himself.

McCain's vision of how this would go NEVER involved Obama showing up for it. If Obama showed up it would defeat the whole purpose of this stunt.

McCain thought Obama would dismiss the idea out of hand when it was first proposed, and must've been concerned when Obama reacted favorably toward the idea. So, the key became how to MAKE Obama withdraw.

But how?

Step 1 - get Fox News to run it

But what if Obama STILL attended even after McCain changed the forum and underlying concept of the town hall? Maybe some insurance would be needed?

Like, maybe, having the host - Fox News - insult his wife and call him a jihadist in the days leading up to the event? That makes it all but certain that Obama would not attend.

Mission accomplished!

I am not a conspiracy fan, but I find this plausible. And for any of you that thought this "Town Hall" was EVER supposed to be an honest offer or a real discussion, you are deluding yourselves. Consider the source - John "Do as I say, not as I do" McCain and the GOP and Fox News. C'mon now. They have quite the track record.