McCain Trying to Avoid a "Side-by-Side" standing debate?

McCain Trying to Avoid a "Side-by-Side" standing debate?

Did you see this news item on Wednesday? It came about 12 hours after McCain supporters cringed as the Republican nominee PAINFULLY crept through a stump speech that was aired on CNN live. It was ... well, PAINFUL.

McCain's supporters were actually OLDER than him. One CNN pundit mentioned it, stating, "John McCain wasn't the oldest person in the room."

McCain and Republican strategists then tuned in for Senator Obama's speech at St. Paul, Minnesota and realized the HUGE issue in front of them come debate time.

See the AP story on the proposed debate format (which could be good for 2-or-3 public town hall-type debates, but I would negotiate at least three "side-by-side" - Kennedy vs. Nixon type debates for all the world to see.

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BATON ROUGE, La. - John McCain challenged Barack Obama to join him in 10 town hall meetings with voters before the Democratic National Convention in August. An Obama adviser was receptive to the idea and said the campaign would discuss it.

McCain, the Republican nominee-in-waiting, sent his rival a letter outlining the offer on Wednesday, the day after Obama clinched the Democratic nomination. McCain suggested the first town hall be held June 12 in New York.

"We need to now sit down and work out a way that we can have these town hall meetings and have a great debate," McCain told reporters Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

He credits the more intimate town hall format with his victory in the New Hampshire primary that launched his climb to the GOP nomination. McCain said the style would tell voters more than the typical formal, televised debates.

"I don't think we need any big media-run production, no process question from reporters, no spin rooms," McCain said. "Just two Americans running for office in the greatest nation on earth, responding to the questions of the people whose trust we must earn."