Obama debate challenge

If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander in chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have

-Barack Obama, Democratic National Convention Acceptance Speech

(Opinion alert)

I just wanted to note how clever this was. For months, John McCain has been asking Obama to join him in ten town hall meetings, a one-on-one format of discussion and debate. And yet last night, Barack Obama did a great job of convincing us that he is the initiator of a debate event.

In fact, John McCain has kept time in his schedule every week since early June in case Mr. Obama decides to accept his offer. He says that he got the idea from the Kennedy/Goldwater campaigns, which flew around the country together to debate. McCain even offered to fly to the events with Obama so as to save energy and encourage political civility.

Of course, Mr. Obama did not meet McCain in any of those town meetings. Now he wants us all to think that he is the enthusiastic one when it comes to debating. Guess again!

New York Times link