If McCain doesn't come for debate, Obama should ask to KEEP the time for a town meeting!

[cascadiance]

That he can host and answer called in questions instead.

Perhaps a brief statement that "I'd like to have had Senator McCain on here as well, so that we both could be here to answer questions that you, our future bosses, would like to have answers to. But I'll stay here to honor that commitment". Or something like that.

Certainly he could make the case to the networks that he'd already blocked his schedule out for this event, and that he feels they should damn well follow through on having it, even if McCain doesn't wanna be there.

Maybe even open it up so that Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, and others can be there too.

[AtomicKitten]

1. He said he'd turn the empty-chair debate into a townhall. Old Miss is counting on something.

[Triana]

2. He did....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7183484&mesg_id=7183484

[cascadiance]

5. Hmm... Cool! Glad his mind is on the same wavelength as mine...

I think that if he'd gesture to the other candidates to debate with him on issues, that would show he has even MORE courage to face the music of tough questions from all segments of the voting populace, not just a one-on-one debate between the two big parties.

If the other candidates would acknowledge that he's helping out them by asking for them to be included, it wouldn't be a "gang up on Obama" event, but perhaps they could really talk constructively on issues with some widely different perspectives, something I think that the American public sorely wants! If they really get a lot of good stuff and viewpoints out on the table, perhaps the voters watching the show will be left with the impression that they're better off not even letting the Republicans have a seat at the table to solve these big problems we face!

[tblue]

3. Absolutely. But McChicken will cave. Just watch, he'll show up.

[jberryhill]

6. AND He'll say "I'm glad you agreed to a Town Meeting Format"

I look forward to the debate, regardless of whether McPanic shows up, but no town meeting.

[book_worm]

7. yes, he'll walk on ten minutes into it, huffing and puffing about how he just managed to get away

from the negotiations in WA to fly down. "But thanks to my leadership we made substantial progress today."

[tblue]

8. "....my friends.."

If I never hear that again, it will be too soon.

[aaaaaa5a]

4. Wouldn't it be cool...

If Ron Barr showed up. They could debate the economies of North Carolina and Georgia (state).