Am I the only one holding my breath for tonight’s town hall meeting?

It’s not that I’m concerned about my candidate’s superior ability to connect with the people, which is what this format is all about. There has never been any question during this campaign that it is Barack Obama, with his charisma and good looks, who can reach out and touch people. It is McCain, on the other hand, with his creepy goiter and his awkward war-hero arm gestures and his child-molestor heh-heh-hehs, who voters DO NOT want touching them. Under any circumstances.

Mind you, I am plenty tickled that the meeting is taking place at Belmont University, thrusting into the international spotlight my beloved Nashville — you know, the place where even a highly educated, fairly cosmopolitan person will unblinkingly tell you that you shouldn’t be living in sin with your fiance because the Jews killed Jesus, but you are welcome to sit next to him at church this Sunday.

What actually worries me is that this forum will feature local “uncommitted” voters who will be permitted to ask their own un-prescreened questions. I guess everyone had to write their question on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope, and Tom Brokaw is going to call on them at random.

Seriously? They’re going to plunk down Joe Six Pack, completely unprepared and haphazardly vetted, hand him a microphone, and let him have at? On the world’s stage? LIVE?!?

This is a train wreck waiting to happen, and yet I feel like I have seen this before.

Oh that’s right: McCain thinks that not only should Joe Six Pack get to speak extemporaneously on live television, but his wife should also be the vice president.

Meanwhile, I’ll be very interested to see if and how McCain “takes the gloves off,” as he intends to do. I mean, to punch someone, you’ve first got to look in their general direction — something he couldn’t bring himself to do in the last debate. I don’t doubt that he’ll be slinging mud, but without a lectern to scowl behind, there’s just no way he can do it and still look dignified.

Obama, on the other hand, can deliver an indictment while looking you calmly and steadily in the eye. And then he can turn and flash a megawatt smile that could make even the most skeptical of so-called “uncommitted” voters swoon.

If Sarah Palin was my Christmas, then tonight may well be my birthday.