And he’s not very good in them; Hillary cleaned his clock last time out. That’s why he didn’t do any Townhalls with McCain, despite promising he would. He much prefers having the teleprompter around, there’s no question about that.

He’s done more in his life than most people would ever dream. You can’t do all that with a teleprompter.

Exactly the point, Bruce.

I’m sorry. Time’s up, Mr. Tea. The correct answers:
1976 – 3 debates
1980 – 3 debates
1984 – 2 debates
1988 – 2 debates
1992 – 3 debates
1996 – 2 debates
2000 – 3 debates
2004 – 3 debates

Now, perhaps you’d be so good as to explain why it’s so unusual for Mr. Obama to want 3 debates?

Palin is a bigger draw than McCain, but compared to Obama they are a bar band wanting to open for The Stones. McCain knows that if he gets Obama into a town hall event, at least he’ll sell some tickets. Surely even JT has noticed that Obama draws a crowd and McCain doesn’t. If I were a candidate, I would be a lot happier drawing huge enthusiastic crowds, instead of half filling a small venue with what looks like a casting call for Night of the Living Dead.

JT, just ask yourself how many people would turn up in Berlin to hear McCain speak, and what their mood might be. Sure, the Germans don’t speak for us, but they are a good indication of who would be better received by the rest of the world.

It’s McCain who is desperate for the debates, not Obama, although the JTs of the world would like to bait Obama by suggesting that good campaign strategy is in fact cowardice.

Three debates are enough to establish who is who and what is what, and Obama does better by letting McCain accumulate a lot of stupid statements that he’ll have to defend.

Keep in mind these facts, JT. Obama graduated Magna cum Laude from Harvard law, in the top one percent of his class, and he got there on his own merit, with no racial preference. McCain, a legacy appointment [white Affirmative Action] to Annapolis, graduated in the bottom one percent of his class, which is why he was lucky to reach the rank he did. The bottom one percent at the USNA are not future admirals, they are more like guys who get out as soon as the Navy takes the jet away, and start running a Toys ‘r’ Us franchise.

Obama is really smart. McCain is really not.

Obama has shown no sign of being easily ruffled, while McCain is famous for his temper and short attention span. He clearly suffers from PTSD, although candidates for president can’t admit any such thing.

Obama is seven inches taller and has a great, authentic smile. Although I sympathize with McCain’s dental problems, that doesn’t change the fact that he has the most insincere, phony-looking and scary smile ever concocted. It’s like half the muscles in his face that we associate with genuine smiles, don’t work for him. I’ll even grant that this horror of a smile is a relic of the time when he was a POWPOWPOW. That doesn’t change the fact that is is harmful to children and frightening to adults.

But if Obama doesn’t have a teleprompter, he’s toast.

Bring. It. On.

For our home audience, here’s a hint about who led the opposition to Mr. Coburn’s amendment: It was a powerful Republican member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. His name rhymes with Schmed Schmevens and he’s from Schmalaska. (He had–and still maintains–very cozy ties with a certain highly visible figure from his home state!)

The leverage he used was a threat to drag the entire Senate into open warfare over each and every one of several thousand earmarked line items. Even for those who oppose earmarking as a matter of principle, this would be disastrous. The business of the Senate would have ground to a complete halt. Of course, back in those days, the Republicans–holding 55 seats–saw that as a bug, not a feature.

Jay Tea once again swallows the latest talking point whole to regurgitate here without stopping to think, even for a second, that it has nothing at all to do with the controversy over Palin’s support for the bridge.

Remember, Jay Tea, the issue isn’t whether Obama or Biden voted for a massive transportation bill that included an earmark for the bridge. The issue is that Palin and McCain have repeatedly lied about Palin’s support for the bridge and her aggressive pursuit of federal earmarks for Alaska. It’s the lie, my friend, that’s the problem.

Stay with me, Duros. The Kechikan Bridge and “Don Young’s Way” were targeted by an amendment to that transportation bill. It is the amendment that Mr. Tea references.

I just love the way this whole thing is framed, as if the Kechikan Bridge was all by itself and not buried in one of the biggest transportation bills of modern times. Obama and Biden, along with a whole lot of other Congressmen and women voted in favor of the transportation bill that was supposed to help our crumbling infrastructure.

No, he just didn’t vote at all. Far less weaselly.

JT: And how about them debates? Why is Obama so afraid of more than three debates?

Yeah, just keep phrasing it that way. “so afriad” Really shows your unbiased view of the situation.

>When we’re done, perhaps you can tell us just when Ms. Palin “told the Congress
>thanks but no thanks” for the bridge? I’m certain she must have done so at some
>time–she really loves to tell that story, doesn’t she?

That wasn’t my point, Mr. Tea. My point was that you have, once again, bloviated on a subject without knowing even the simplest facts. You’re quite reliable.

How are you doing so far? 1) “A whole bunch of pork projects” is actually two projects. 2) “Katrina relief” is rebuilding a damaged bridge, 3) “Some folks” is actually Tom Coburn, 4) “Supported by Obama and Biden” is actually shorthand for “Supported by an overwhelming majority from both parties.”

You’re doing very well, Mr. Tea. There are only a couple of questions that you have neglected: Who led the opposition to Mr. Coburn’s amendment? What leverage was used?

But back to the point (you DO remember the point, Mr. Basement? It’s the bit about Obama and his teleprompters): Why is Obama refusing to have more than three debates against McCain?

Why, Mr. Tea! I’m surprised at you! You act as if I have dragged you down this rabbit hole against your will.

Remember what I was saying about reliability? Yet again, you don’t disappoint us. Are three debates too few? How many were there in previous Presidential races?

And how about them debates? Why is Obama so afraid of more than three debates?

J.