Oddo on Tapping Into John McCain's Humor

One local Republican isn't worrying too much about John McCain's oratory skills, despite wide-ranging criticism of the nominee's speech last Tuesday, especially compared to Barack Obama's speech.

“I think Obama’s strength is giving the, in front of the teleprompter, soaring rhetoric,” said Republican City Councilman Jimmy Oddo, echoing the conventional wisdom about which debate forum suits each candidate. Oddo noted that Obama historically hasn't performed as well in debates. “Hillary won all but one of them," he said. "The, sort of, give-and-take, the town hall forum, where McCain can tap into his humor, is better for him, instead of behind the podium.”

Oddo also said Michael Bloomberg could work as a moderator (though it's agreed that's pretty unlikely).

“I would love to see that,” he said. “Something that would allow the public to get beyond the canned answers on both sides.” In the debates, Oddo said, candidates “gave the same answers over and over again.”

At the prospect of a different forum for debate, Oddo noted gladly, “Talk about straight talk and change.”