Debate Preview: Town Hall Format May Not Help John McCain This Time

[tekisui]

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/10/07/debate-preview-town-hall-format-may-not-help-john-mccain-this-time.html

Town hall gatherings have saved John McCain's campaign before, but that doesn't mean Tuesday night's town hall-style debate can rescue the Arizona senator.

The Republican nominee faces a tougher landscape now than when he met Democrat Barack Obama in the first presidential debate, just 11 days ago.

Since then, Wall Street has been rocked by new losses even after Congress passed a $700 billion bailout, millions of Americans have seen their savings shrivel and McCain's poll numbers have slid almost as fast as the Dow Jones.

McCain's response has been to step up his attacks on the Illinois senator and to raise questions about his past associations and character.

But whether that approach can work tonight when the two combatants meet at Belmont University in Nashville - before an audience of supposedly undecided voters - is far from clear, experts say.

"The town hall setting is the worst format for vitriol," said veteran Democratic strategist Mark Siegel. "The audience likes it sweet and civil."

"He needs to be aggressive, but also find a place where he's more appealing than he was last time," added a prominent GOP strategist. "He can't turn it around in a single debate, but he needs to do something that generates momentum."

more...