This just in: My friend Lori called and said she had tried to get tickets for a so-called Town Hall event in New York City tonight. Apparently, originally, Mayor Bloomberg had invited Barack Obama and John McCain together to do a broadcast event via ABC, but since the opportunity was not there for other media to broadcast it, both campaigns declined.
Enter Fox. Tonight, Fox will be broadcasting a 90-minute Town Hall event exclusively, with John McCain.
Lori tried to call and get tickets for the event:
I called his camp.
Event is on. Everything in quotes is a direct quote from his staffer.
"It's a sold out event."
I asked if tickets were sold to clarify...
"It was invitationalized and the tickets have been gone for a long time."
Me: I thought they just announced this event?
"It's been available through his network for some time, tickets have been gone for a while."
Me: But tickets were sold? For a town hall?
"It was part of a donation drive."
Me: And is there a waiting list in case people don't show up?
"No, it is already standing room only. There's no chance of getting in to this event."
Lori wrote: THIS IS NOT A "TOWN HALL"!!!! There is no Democracy in this. This is a planned media event! It will be broadcast LIVE on Fox News at 7pm. This is propaganda!
Then she told me about the New Jersey Town Hall being scheduled for tomorrow...
"It's a different process. To attend that one you just have to register online."
Me: I guess I'm confused, I thought Town Halls were supposed to be open events...
"It's for security reasons. We've had some problems with who gets into these events."
Schedule of events below:
Thursday, June 12, 2008 John McCain Schedule
1:30 PM: McCain attends a town hall meeting at Daniel Webster College Gymnasium, 20 University Drive Doors open at 12:30 PM Nashua,NH
4:15 PM: Departs Manchester,NH
5:15 PM: Arrives Newark,NJ
7:00 PM: McCain holds a town hall meeting, Federal Hall, 26 Wall St. New York,NY LIVE FOX NEWS BROADCAST
11:59 PM: McCain overnights at the Hilton New York. New York, NY
Friday, June 13, 2008 John McCain Schedule
11:00 AM: McCain attends a town hall meeting at Burlington County College, The Physical Education Building, 601 Pemberton Browns Mills Road. Doors open at 9 AM Pemberton,NJ
Lori writes: This movement needs to move on this. We are being excluded, openly while McCain keeps touting his Town Hall politics. This needs to be exposed at the same level he is getting press from FOX tonight. Please help me blow the lid off of his SHAM DEMOCRACY!
UPDATE: Lori just forwarded this email from the McCain campaign:
Please tune into The Fox News Channel tonight at 7PM EDT to watch the first 2008 Presidential Town Hall, broadcast from Federal Hall in New York City. This historic location is where President George Washington first took the oath of office. Tonight it will play host to John McCain while he answers questions from real voters about important issues including the economy, energy prices and the war.
Last week, John McCain invited Senator Obama to participate tonight, hoping to start what would be a series of ten town hall meetings where both candidates would travel the country to answer questions from real voters. Senator Obama has yet to agree to meet us in these town halls. These town halls would revolutionize our political process and start a real change in the tone of politics. John McCain believes in this effort and is putting it into action.
Please tune into the Fox News Channel, tonight at 7PM EDT to witness first-hand John McCain's brand of straight talk with voters.
OK, Kossacks. Anyone want to call Sen. McCain on misrepresenting the reasons why Sen. Obama is not participating tonight? Anyone think this is a free and independent democratic political process? Feel free to organize below.