BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN (merged)

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

I agree. It was a pretty smart move on McCain's part.

Funny--I think Obama is by far the better presidential candidate, but McCain just seems to be the better tactician. He's used every trick in the book, from selecting Palin to going massively negative (to the point of blatantly lying) and now this, to turn a blowout into a dogfight.

Had Obama made this very announcement an hour earlier than McCain, it might have been a huge coup for him. As it is, the best Obama can do is say, "Me too!" and follow along. Or he can keep campaigning and look like just another politician.

 

Everyone needs their Rowdy Roddy Piper sunglasses these days...

A quote from John Carpenter's "They Live":

"The Golden Rule...those who have the gold make the rules"

 

Interesting, can anyone think of a time when this has happened before (Denny)? The funny part about this to me is that he "urges Obama to do the same". LOL. I never realized that candidates were obligated to take advice from the opposition, McCain is a clown in that regard.

 

Re: McCain wants to postpone Friday's debate

I don't know that I'd agree that it's a "terrific tactic." It's a desperate tactic. it's the equivalent of being down 10 points with four minutes to go and launching three-pointers every time down. In the very rare times it works, because the team gets lucky and goes white hot, fans think it was a great move. But was the decision a sound one? It's pretty arguable that the switch in strategy netted a higher chance of winning. Maybe if the team was down 30 and needed something miraculous...but McCain is not that far behind, so I'm not at all sure that such a desperation tactic is going to give him a higher chance of winning.

It really depends on one's opinion of the American people. If one assumes they're generally dumb enough not to understand that this is a stunt, then it may help. However, I think his last bet on Americans being stupid (selecting Palin, assuming women would be bowled over by anyone with a vagina) is proving not to have paid off for him...after an initial bump from the novelty combined with the RNC, both their favourability numbers have been sinking a lot. I think the nation as a whole has become political savvy (cynical) enough to understand that this isn't really a deep sense of duty and national love, and a tactic to try to grandstand.

So, I think it's enormous risk and possibly one that overall lowers his chances of winning.

 

I don't know if this is such a savvy move, it also looks like he's scared as hell about the debate.

Didn't we have a surge in 2005 IIRC? It's not just about a single surge.

If he cared about the country first and wasn't a total transparent politician, he wouldn't have a certain someone on the ticket.

Lol what a BS move, he's not even an expert on the subject according to his own words.

 

The response from the Obama campaign is easy. Just play up the fact that America needs a leader it can trust and it's up to him and McCain to provide them ample opportunity to make their decision. Presidential debates are an important part of the American political process, and to deny the American people the opportunity to see what each candidate brings to the table is irresponsible and inconsiderate of the next four years of leadership in this country.

-Pop

 

Obama isn't obligated, but McCain beat him to the high road that just opened and is inviting him to follow him along it. So either Obama is a follower or he takes the low road. He just put Obama in a deep hole on this issue.

 

You're choosing to call one the "high road" and one the "low road" because you have a bit of a bias on this. What both politicians do are going to be political decisions that each will spin as the "high road." The American people will ultimately decide who they think actually did the right thing.

 

Yeah what I mean to say is while Obama was introducing legislation for a troop withdrawal, which was unquestionably the popular thing to do, McCain was pushing for something completely unpopular, the surge of 2007. But McCain has been calling for more troops to Iraq, Rumsfeld's firing, etc. before that.

I don't understand, what does having Palin on the ticket have to do with that?

 

Re: McCain wants to postpone Friday's debate

He just took an issue that he was getting killed on and flipped it. Which one of the two looks presidential now? It may have been borne of desperation (I think it was actually opportunity, but toe-may-to, tah-mah-toe), but that doesn't mean it wasn't an effective tactic. A desperate tactic implies that it's high-risk/high-reward. To me it's low-risk/high-reward.

What if it's not a stunt? What if McCain actually believes it?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Sarah Palin was selected more for her ability to mobilize the right wing than to woo Hillary voters. It was a move to secure the base while McCain goes after the middle, where he's more comfortable.

I like it when people do the right thing, regardless of the motivations. Doing your job is the right thing in this case.

So, I think it's enormous risk and possibly one that overall lowers his chances of winning.[/QUOTE]

 

McCain: Scrap Friday Debate for Bailout; Obama Camp: 'The Debate is On'
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September 24, 2008 3:04 PM

ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos and Rick Klein report: Sen. John McCain on Wednesday said he would “suspend” his presidential campaign to come to Washington to help negotiate a financial bailout bill, a dramatic move designed to seize a powerful issue.

However a senior Obama campaign official said Obama "intends to debate."

"The debate is on," a senior Obama campaign official told ABC News.

McCain said he called on the Commission on Presidential Debates to postpone the debate scheduled for Friday in Mississippi, to ensure quick congressional action. The campaign is also suspending its advertising, pending an agreement with Obama.

“I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me,” McCain planned to say in New York City, according to advance excerpts released by his campaign. “I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.”

Obama supporter and chief debate negotiator Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., told MSNBC that "we can handle both," when asked about his reaction to McCain's call to postpone the first debate because of the administration's bailout plan.

He believes they are making good progress on Capitol Hill on the bailout and his initial reaction is that the work on the Hill should not preclude the debate from taking place.

An Obama campaign official told ABC News the Democratic presidential candidate called McCain this morning to suggest a joint statement of principles.

McCain called back this afternoon and suggested returning to Washington.

Obama is willing to return to Washington "if it would be helpful." But reiterated Obama intends to debate on Friday.

McCain and his top advisers said the Republican presidential candidate has not committed to voting for the massive financial bailout plan proposed by the Bush administration, with aides saying he will reserve final judgment until there is a final product.

A senior McCain campaign official said that the “Bush package is dead. This is a serious situation. Package must be resolved by the time markets open on Monday."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that McCain had assured Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that he would support the $700 billion legislation.

Asked about that Wednesday, McCain responded: “I did not say that.”

Senior advisor Mark Salter then interjected saying, “He hasn’t said that to Paulson or to Reid or to anybody else. He hasn’t said that to me.”

McCain campaign political director Mike DuHaime told reporters at a lunch meeting in Washington that the senator will not commit until he sees the final package that comes to the Senate floor.

“He’s going to do what he thinks is right,” DuHaime said at a lunch sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. “He’ll make a vote as a leader in this country, and people will look to him.”

DuHaime added, “Quite frankly, I think you could ask Sen. Obama if he’s going to do what he thinks is right. I mean, he has never -- I believe -- never once made a decision that is an unpopular decision or went against the orthodoxy of his party, and was one that was one that was a tough decision to make. . . . Sen. McCain has done that throughout his entire career, his entire life -- not just in politics, but his life.”

DuHaime said that while McCain understands the urgency, many voters continue to have important questions about what the bailout means to them.

“When you start talking about $10,000 per household or per family to go toward bailing out Wall Street, they have legitimate questions about it,” DuHaime said. “People understand that that is a big thing and it affects them, and they do legitimately have questions about, is this really going to go to bail out companies or leaders of companies who now are relying on taxpayer dollars to bail them out, and are going to get these huge compensation packages after they come to the taxpayers for it.”

“There is some frustration, certainly, in that, and it’s understandable to say the least. And it has not been a quick rush to say yes or no. People understand the gravity of this, want to see it done right, while still understanding the timing factor.”

ABC News' Bret Hovell and Sunlen Miller contributed to this report.

Link

 

She's easily not the most qualified candidate by his own standards.

 

Absolutely not. I would have made the same comment had Obama or Biden been the one who had called for it.

It's unlikely that the American people will see staying on the campaign trail talking about how you'll change things is better than going back to DC, doing your job and actually trying to get something done.

 

Since when do Democrats/Independent Obama supporters care about experience and qualifications?

 

Obama isn't the most qualified candidate for president by anyone standards. What is your point!

 

"Country first".

 

He wasn't running on a platform of experience.

Read Real's post, it is perfect context.

 

I know he was running on hope and change with no experience of every making any change.

 

Picking the "most qualified" candidate hasn't ever been the measure of picking a VP. If one were going to pick the "most qualified" VP candidate on the Republican side, we'd be talking about a McCain/Cheney ticket. The bar simply has to be whether or not the person has the capacity to become president. I think there are probably 20-30 people in the Republican Party that meet that criteria, and Sarah Palin isn't one of them.

 

Congrats, they are both BS politicians then, but read Real's post.

Dude it is about context.