The prospect of a woman at the town hall debate asking Donald Trump: "Do you think I'm fat?"

On "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" today, the panel got to talking about the next presidential debate, which will be in a "town hall" format:

JOHN HEILEMANN (of Bloomberg): It is a harder debate than the first debate in some respects, because you've got real voters asking questions...

ROLAND MARTIN (of TV One): What happens if a size 12 or 14 woman stands up and...

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: No, no, no. I'm serious... What if a size 12 or 14 woman who's the average size in America stands and says, Donald Trump, I have two daughters and look at me. Do you think I'm beautiful? Do you think I'm fat?

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: -- question comes, Donald Trump is going to stand there with a deer in the headlights look and....

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: -- but, no, no, but in this format, you have to answer that question. You have to answer to all that you've said in the past. That's going to be a problem for him.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And you can't dis -- you can't dis the questioners on this one.

I thought this was pretty obtuse — except as Sunday morning entertainment. It's easy to talk about getting fat and the sensitivities attached to that totally down-to-earth mundane worry. It has nothing to do with the presidency, but it's easy to understand. Martin himself is fat. Trump is fat. Most Americans are fat. But do Martin and Stephanopoulos seriously believe that Donald Trump — with all his experience with women — wouldn't know how to talk to a woman who asked him "Do you think I'm fat?"? Frankly, I think it would offer him an easy opportunity to show the warmth and social skill that we have every reason to know that he has in his private dealings with individuals.

Since when do town hall moderators kiss the candidate?

Watch Hillary Clinton walk in and accept kisses on the cheek from Jake Tapper and Roland Martin. This was last night's CNN town hall:

What do you think of that kissing?

Totally normal.

Special, but appropriate, because she's a lady and they are gentlemen.

Indicative of inappropriate closeness where there should be at least a veneer of professionalism.

Weird!

 

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ADDED: How is Sanders greeted? Tapper leans forward with an extended hand and, after the handshake, pats him on the back a few times. Martin extends his hand and, during the handshake, uses his left hand to grip Sanders's upper arm.