Otherwise, why won’t he do the town hall meetings he said that he was willing to do?

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain squabbled over a format for their first one-on-one debate in the U.S. presidential race, as both pushed their economic plans amid fresh reports of surging inflation and sagging wages.
Obama on Friday rejected McCain’s proposal for 10 joint town-hall appearances, question-and-answer gatherings before small audiences that the Republican senator tends to favor. The Democrat has performed best at massive, emotional rallies drawing tens of thousands of people.
Obama has offered to meet McCain in five joint appearances between now and the Nov. 4 election, but only one of those would be town hall-style and it would be on the July 4th Independence Day holiday, when few Americans would be watching. McCain called the offer “a very disappointing response.”

If I were him, I would avoid any public speaking that doesn’t include a promoter because it’s when he’s off script that he usually makes his gaffes.