Regrets to McCain's Invitation to Debate

Not to be finicky, I find John McCain's "invitation" for Obama to join in town hall meetings to be a distinctly second best alternative. Everyone has their own favorite example of media grandstanding in moderated debates, so it's easy to agree that we might do better without them. But would it be better to turn that role over to whichever citizens were to gain access to a town hall debate? Just recall the often dreadful YouTube questioners or the infamous "boxers or briefs" silliness.

If we're going to change the way we campaign -- an idea whose time came long ago -- why not go for a "real reform," as McCain himself might put it? Why not take up the original idea of Newt Gingrich to have a series of unmoderated one-on-one discussions in front of TV cameras? No questioners except the two candidates. No one in the room to react except the two candidates. No one standing between those two and the one hundred million voters who are looking for the best person to lead this country in a new direction.

Why not go all the way to a real change?

Charles Blum