John McCain Brings "Straight Talk" to Town Hall Stop in Denver, Colorado

Denver, July 7 -- Presidential candidate John McCain just finished a "town hall" meeting here in Denver about an hour ago. As with the numerous other candidate visits to Colorado this year, it was an opportunity to experience the candidate live and in person, without the media filter and agenda. My impression? McCain's "straight talk" is definitely not smooth talking, and he did not seem to be here just to whip up support. He was awkward at times, and openly disagreed or declined to support legislation when he thought it was the right thing to do. I don't know if that will win him votes, but it was very refreshing.

Colorado may not have the electoral clout of New York or California, but presidential candidates have been making frequent visits here long past ski season. The reason? The location of the Democratic National Convention is seen to be a "swing state," a state which, if the race is close, might be key to winning the presidency. And so they have come -- and keep coming. Republican Sen. John McCain is the latest visitor, but in the Denver area, in particular, if you miss one visit, there'll be another not long down the road from the major candidates. This visit of a little over an hour was not a "whistle stop" though; there was a lot of serious talking and a lot of thoughtful listening as well.

Media coverage pre-event (the speech and topic were made available in advance) boiled his message down to jobs. That was certainly a focus of his speech, and he put a lot of stock in small business and government noninterference as the salve for our stalling economy. He noted that small business is clearly where the growth is at this point and didn't offer programs, but, rather, he said that government should get out of the way of entrepreneurs.

Microphones were passed around, and questions ranged from veterans' benefits to whether Americans are getting passive and missing the chance to make the country better. (It was more of a statement, actually -- even a mini-speech.) The latter question was asked by an older woman with a strong accent and so much passion McCain said that he should take her with him on the campaign. There were also a few shouts from the audience of "your vice president!" I'm sure that'll be a viral video clip soon; it resonated with many. McCain said he differed on one point: He believes Americans always answer the call when it is made, and should be respected for that. In other words, we are not inherently lazy.

In general, the crowd was orderly and respectful, and when McCain demurred on "gotcha" questions, which were obviously rehearsed, the audience often murmured approval, doubly so when the questioners attempted "shout downs." He said that's not how town halls work effectively. It became clear that what he might lack in excitement, he made up for in a calm, centered approach.

I came away from McCain's town hall without a clear sense of satisfaction, and a lot of questions about his stands on various issues. Balancing compassion with the conservative view of self-reliance is not easy, for example. He didn't claim to have "fixes" for problems such as health care, as much as strategies, and that seemed discouraging to some people. In one example, he said individual would need help becoming aware of what was available right now. Future programs weren't the answer. He didn't use the opportunity to sell his solutions, but helped the questioner with use available resources.

It's not clear whether McCain has a vision for our country, but he has clear principles. He did not seem to be a "pleaser" nor did he speak in broad, optimistic abstractions. Experiencing him in more than sound bites, I had the impression that he wanted to use what he had learned in his life to benefit the country. I didn't hear promises of "with me in charge, you will be OK." What he did say is that he would put the country first during his presidency as in the past, and where his heart was was very clear, though his words stumbled at times.

Having seen the two leading candidates in person here in Denver, I have a very different impression from what I have seen in the national media. Both have major strengths which are not being reported as often as they should be. Whether the country chooses Obama's vision and Reaganesque personality, or McCain's practical, empower the people and keep things simple approach, I believe we've got good people. I encourage anyone who can to get out and see them in person, look them in the eye and ask questions from your heart.

It has been clear that neither candidate wants to play the "gotcha" politics which have been in vogue, and they appear to be partisan from deeply felt beliefs, not a need for conflict. In fact, I suspect the business-as-usual Congress is in for a shock no matter which one wins, which might, just possibly, encourage more leaders of strong principle to run for public office. Cynicism may sell news, but it's clear John McCain and Barack Obama have a lot of faith in America.