McCain: Don’t expect surprises in upcoming debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John McCain says not to expect any surprises in this week’s first presidential debate because the televised confrontations nowadays are so heavily scripted.

McCain was President Barack Obama’s challenger in 2008. He says if he were running against Obama again, he could easily guess — and prepare for — the first half dozen questions because they are usually so obvious.

McCain says he still thinks debates are good for the country and the elections, and he predicted that Wednesday’s debate between Obama and Republican Mitt Romney will attract the largest number of viewers in history. But, he says, if Americans are expecting to catch any revealing moments, they might be disappointed because “frankly the candidates are too well prepared.”

McCain spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union.”