Well, that is the crux of the matter. Please do not buy this "suspension of the campaign for the greater good" thing. That is not the answer to the question.
The answer to the question is: McCain's poll crunchers got nervous and told him that once again he is going to have to "change the narrative" again. In other words, if McCain is going to meet Obama on a field of battle that consists of their records of working to prevent the mortgage meltdown and the financial firestorm through applying a little bit of basic regulation to the finance industry, well he was not winning on that battlefield. Juan Williams of NPR did not misundertand this. Neither did I. I crucnched the numbers this morning on CNN electoral counter, and I got Obama winning by a razor thin margin in the electoral college. Don't you think there is probably someone in the McCain camp who knows who to use the 'Net?
Sooo- it's time to GET OFF that battlefield and find a new one with more favorable topography for ambushes, cavalry raids, attack ads, etc. About that time the phone rang. It was a guy called Barack Obama who was asking if the two presidential campaigns could issue a joint statement saying that the financial firestorm has got to be addressed. Hot Damn, says McCain to himself, and says he will think about it. Then a few hours later, after he and his handlers get to talk out all the pluses and minuses of that concept as regards his presidential campaign, he holds a press conference to announce blandly that he is suspending his campaign ithout discussing that with Obama first.
Look, I am not making this up. Look back over the past couple months of McCain's presidential campaign. Every time things change in the polls, mcCain's handlers come up with something to distract the public from the REAL narrative: the policies and plans of the two candidates themselves. Sarah Palin was the biggest of these. What does Sarah Palin tell us about McCain's policies? Well, nothing actually. He is playing a game with the Christian conservatives called: who gets to set policy, Sarah Palin or John McCain? Answer: John McCain. But enough about Sarah Palin, let's talk about the guy running for President: John McCain.
It's not about lipstick on a pig arguments, people. It is about the policies that McCain represents- which was actually what Obama was trying to discuss until McCain chose to muddy the waters with a bunch of nonsense.
So, we should elect John McCain president because he has the strength of character to change the subject repeatedly whenever it suits his need to get the poll numbers up. Sounds like a great reason to me. It has the virtue of also keeping his running mate out of any debates with Biden.
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The difference IMHO is that more people are paying attention. Our country is in a shambles. We are being asked to bail out big corporations with our tax dollars yet let our neighbors and their families go homeless because in some way the current administration feels that it is the individuals fault for overextending themselves but the corporations do not have the same responsibility.
We have so many issues facing us as a country today.
I couldn't believe it! This about the man who thought ,up until he was told not to say it, that our economny was fundamentally sound. He couldn't find his ass with both hands let alone solve any ecomonic crisis. As long as it's not his own personal economic crisis, he doesn't care.
His latest distraction is to postpone the debate on Friday night! You know darn well McCain is scared to death of any debate with Obaman, cuz he is wayyyyy out of his league. This is not a ploy to help America solve the economic crisis, this is simply a ploy to help McCain out of the debate.
First of all, even if he goes to Washington, he has no clue what is going on. Secondly, by avoiding the debate, he certainly doesn't look like a leader but a con man. Also, the University of Georgia (i think that's the right place) has spent $5 million to prepare for this debate. That's a lot of money for a college. If McCain doesn't show up, I think they should bill him the entire amount. McCain has been trying to weasle out of the debates from the very beginning challenging Obama to give 'town hall meetings' instead because then McCaiin wouldn't be asked questions he can't answer. He won't have the luxury of a friendly audience and moderator as he did at Saddleback Church.
Pathetic.
And this is how it is played. This latest from McCain is in standing with his past positions of "better lose an election than lose the war" of the Republicans delaying their convention because of the gulf hurricanes and now a financial crisis solution that seems to be going nowhere and McCain responding that the crisis is more important than a campaign.
This will resound with the public, it was potentially a very good move.
It doesn't matter what you think or know, this is an election it is about connecting with the voting public.
Obama has been gaining ground by focusing on the economy, but what, now it's not important enough to return to Washington to help with this crisis?
I see it as a positive for McCain any way you look at it. If McCain is still in Washington helping with the crisis on Friday night when the debates are suposed to be what is Obama going to say? I don't think there is anything he can say that will make himself look good and McCain look bad.
Also, I think he probably WILL show up at the debate.
I bet
When Obama was announced as the official Democratic Presidential candidate McCain suggested a series of town hall type debates and the Obama camp refused,
I guess Obama was just afraid right?
If it goes and gets passed as it is written, the million dollar a month salaries will be continued to be paid...
and the President has made it very clear to all that if if is not passed as it is written right now, he will VETO it...
I find it interesting that this President feels he has to call in Obama and McCain as part of the few he wants to talk to personally in HIS office...what dose he want not heard or what dose he feel he has to say to even have both of them in HIS office to discuss this bill...who dose he have to convince that this needs to go thru as is because???? Whos fanny is he going to suggest needs to be covered...His was of playing the political scene has and always will be sneaky and back door ethics..
regarding the debate...Mr McCain needs to realize that being President means that at
some times he has to be available to more than ONE crises at a time....
thats the beat of
the drum right now and it is even more important that he shows that energy and ability
to lead AT THIS TIME and he has just pr oven HE DOSEN"T GET IT....He is hiding against
time to find out "how do I deal with this now and what do I say"..from the very golden
parachute advisers managing this campaign that are part of the mess in our economy -
who will still continue to get their million dollar paychecks if this bill goes thru as written
Lets NEVER FORGET "The fundamentals of the economy ARE strong".
No one made that up. He said, he believed it, he flip flopped within 24 hours.
What a LOSER.
First, you duck and run from the debate. Then, you throw a body block at the appearance of Sarah Palin in her one-and-only debate by proposing a rescheduled presidential debate--on the date of the VP debate!
Friggin' fantastic, dude. Get me another beer while you're up. (Except they came up with this gem at 10 a.m. Go figure.)
The Letterman finds out later that mcCain did in fact NOT get on a plane to Washington, nope he interviewed Katie Couric, then hung out in New York and did not fly anywhere.
HUH?
I understand that Letterman invited keith Olberman in McCain's place, and verbally let McCain have it for standing him up. Hey, humor is the thing you need most when you are entering a recession. Don't leave out the humor and play everything serious, that's a bad plan.