As Obama Balks, What McCain Should Do

Another Update: Ed Driscoll has some additional reactions here.

Update: Report here:

John McCain announced that he will suspend his presidential campaign on Thursday to return to Washington to help with Wall Street bailout negotiations. He urged his opponent Barack Obama to do the same.

And here:

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

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

Let the Left laugh, with Obama saying he wants to continue campaigning and debating, I'd do two things were I McCain.

1) Say you can understand Obama's point of view as he has never been engaged in anything this serious on Capitol Hill, or anywhere else.

and 2) Volunteer to let his VP nominee sit in for him against Obama on Friday.

Yes, I realize the media is still all about Palin - who cares. I'd make the offer.

Comments

[North Dallas Thirty]

Obama has gone from "this is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression" to, I'll see if I can fit it into my campaign schedule.

Bingo.

So which is it, Obamabots?

Does Obama believe his campaign is more important than doing his job and dealing with "the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression"?

Or did Obama lie and this isn't that big of a deal?

[mark l.]

"It looks like McFail LIED about his super important meeting with his economic advisers."

yes, while on the subject of importnat meetings, one of the most pivotal financial decisons of our time is about to be made.

Would you a) want to participate and ...gasp...learn something or b) commit to not attending.

I realize that obama is the god of constitutional law, but who knew that he was so well versed on economics?
by his committing to non-attendance, he has skipped out on a page in history. Not exactly an inspiring moment from a guy who believes the next president takes over in 40 days.

I'm sure he'll have someone give him the cliffnotes, once the adults are done.

[Toad]

The leftists are getting bitchy again. Therefore, it is time to once again show them this superb and hilarious picture (scroll down to see).

http://www.singularity2050.com/2006/12/a-picture-is-wo.html

[oMan]

I think this is another brilliant move by McCain. He got inside Obama's OODA loop by picking Palin. That was pure strategy, because events did not dictate that he pick her. It destroyed Obama's momentum (offensive, suddenly put on defensive: and defense does not win wars) and it forced Obama's main thrust off the objective (attacking McCain) and onto a flank move (attacking Palin, in obviously disgraceful ways, and implicitly admitting or at least inviting the country to see parity between Palin and The One). Now this. I think his overall plan called for a surprise move of some sort at this point, because Obama has begun to adapt to Palin and there is little more dividend in public disgust at how he and his creatures have treated her --that is, the base has been energized, the decent undecided voters fully understand what slimebuckets the Dems and the MSM have become, and it is now time to change the direction and tempo. McCain could not, would not, have invoked this economic cliffhanger as the factual fulcrum for his new move, but he's using it. And that makes it all the more brilliant: that he could seize on events as they come, that he could adopt a position that simultaneously shows the country he is serious and that he puts its interests first, that he can go to DC and, without saying a thing, remind people that he warned of this catastrophe 3 years ago, and tried his best to prevent it: only to find the Democrats blocking his efforts to end the binge. All that, and he leaves Obama trying to react. Anything The One does now will be seen as subsidiary; reactive; or selfish; or inane; or all four. Perfect.

If McCain picks a good cabinet and curbs his tendency to get contrarian on everything, he could be a truly good President. Even if he doesn't, he is light-years better than The Present One.

[Worst President Ever]

Gee, seems like it was just other day McLame, the Senator from Deregulation, was telling us the economy was sound, nothing to worry about here, move along.

McLame's missed more votes than any Senator.

As for Palin debating Obama, please, please, please, let it happen.

[jaime]

"Oh, and I was thinking the same thing about McCain sending Palin instead."

Unfortunately, their plan is to suspend this week's debate and cancel Palin's debate. If Palin is so ready to be President and all...Why are they trying to cancel her debate?

[SacTownMan]

Hey J-me are you done with the "liar" talking point yet or are you just stuck on stupid?

[jaime]

Are you done smelling like Sacramento cowshit?

[SacTownMan]

I'll take that response as an affirmative confirmation on "Stuck on Stupid!

[mark l.]

earlier I questioned Obama's knowledge and experience on economic matters...

but then I found the quote from his visit to Israel, where he said he was 'on the banking committee'.

I couldn't find any record of that, but surely no one would lie so blatantly about their responsibilites, when the reality is easily verified.

I apologize for questioning Obama's economic credentials. I'll bet he has a nobel prize in econ that he hasn't even brought up.

[North Dallas Thirty]

And notice how Jaime didn't answer the question about why, if Barack Obama was screaming that this was the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression, Obama wasn't back in Washington doing his job to help stop it.

Answer: because Barack Obama is a liar and a fraud.

Barack Obama just uses mindless puppets like Jaime. Notice today how Harry Reid, who yesterday was demanding that McCain return to Congress, is today flip-flopping and saying the exact opposite -- mainly because Obama told him to do it ( http://ace.mu.nu/archives/274153.php ).

And look how the Democrat Party is suddenly whining about inserting Presidential politics into the decision -- when Barney Frank was yesterday bragging about how he was coordinating with the Obama campaign and trying to stay on the same page ( http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/23/MN35132M7P.DTL ).

[Worst President Ever]

Strange, if he thought the negotiations were so damn important, where's he been? I guess his "the economy is strong" has "evolved" a bit. What a flip-flopper.

And from http://time-blog.com/swampland/

But leaders from the left and the right rejected the idea of McCain and Obama taking over the talks. When asked by reporters if he wanted McCain sitting in blow-by-blow negotiations Rep. Adam Putnam, the No. 3 House Republican, simply smirked, mute for ten seconds as reporters laughed.

[Worst President Ever]

And why can't Saint Palin run the campaign while McLame's back saving Civilization?

Oh, wait, maybe this is why:

COURIC: You've said, quote, "John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business." Other than supporting stricter regulations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago, can you give us any more example of his leading the charge for more oversight?

PALIN: I think that the example that you just cited, with his warnings two years ago about Fannie and Freddie — that, that's paramount. That's more than a heck of a lot of other senators and representatives did for us.

COURIC: But he's been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.

PALIN: He's also known as the maverick though. Taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he's been talking about — the need to reform government.

COURIC: I'm just going to ask you one more time, not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation?

PALIN: I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you.

Please, please, plase send this woman to debate Obama.

[Adam Villani]

"a brief respite from campaign follies"

I think it's quite telling that McCain and his supporters see the debate over how to lead the country over the next four years is nothing but "campaign follies." Because for McCain, the campaign so far *has* been nothing but follies, a circus of baseless smears, finger-in-the-wind policy declarations, and Cousin Oliver-esque stunt casting of an inexperienced, secessionist-sympathizing, for-the-bridge-before-she-was-against-it Veep nominee just because they figured women would vote for any one of their own. Meanwhile, Barack Obama has actually been running a serious campaign to lead the country, not distract it.

Of course John McCain would chicken out of the debates.

[Anon]

Why 'volunteer' Palin? Just send her. What's he gonna do - go home?

[North Dallas Thirty]

And again, Adam Villani, given that you and your fellow Democrats insist that this is the "worst financial crisis since the Great Depression", why are you prioritizing the Presidential debates over Congress dealing with the matter?

Furthermore, since Democrats like yourself insist that McCain's absence to this point has been a sign that he doesn't care, that would mean that Obama's continued absence means that HE doesn't care about "the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression".

In addition, if, as you claim, Dems didn't want McCain there, why was the leader of the Senate Dems calling for him to show up yesterday? ( http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/24/reid-changes-his-tune-on-mccain-involvement/ )

And as for Katie Couric, I wonder why it was too hard for her to admit that McCain had pushed for tighter regulation of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and why she had to run like hell away from that. Could it be because she didn't want it revealed that the Messiah to whom she had contributed was the second-largest recipient of their largesse -- after the same Messiah had thrown a screaming fit over McCain's campaign spokesperson allegedly receiving money from them?

[bobc]

candidates dont make Fiscal laws

Congress does

cant mccain chew gum and walk at same time

Oh I forgot he cant walk well.

[Spartan112]

"Maybe someday he'll have an original thought that isn't preceded by an alcohol binge!"

Sac I cry plagiarism...that's clearly George W. Bush's line.

[ET]

Today we witnessed the crux of the matter...McCain is a leader, Obama is a follower.

Try to spin it any way you want, but perception is reality. And today the American public saw the democratic candidate out maneuvered by his republican opponent AGAIN.

Pack your bags for Chicago, Obie-wanna-be.

[yomamma]

Is it me, or have the sock puppets really been hitting my favorite blogs lately?

[seekeronos]

"--- Lincoln didn't even suspend his campaign during the civil war. I guess you can always count on McLiar to panic under pressure. ---"

Now who's lyin', Jaimey-kins?

The first shots at Ft. Sumter were fired on 12 April 1861.

Lincoln assumed office on 4 March 1861.

He WAS president for more than a month before the actual civil war - you know , the part where people from the same country begin shooting at each other.

Now I'll grant that the secession movements within the various Southern States were in play during the fall and winter of 1860 (during the 1860 election season), and that the Confederate States of America (long may her momery endure) was constituted and formed on 4 February 1861... but he certainly did not even NEED to suspend his campaign on account of the war.

Care to revise your lie, or was that a "mistake"...?

[mary]

Now this is getting interesting:

"Subject: Cynthia McKinney Ready to take McCain’s Podium at Friday’s Debate

*For immediate release
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
*
*Contact: John Judge*,

*Cynthia McKinney Ready to take McCain’s Podium at Friday’s Debate*

/WASHINGTON, DC/ -- Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney has offered to debate Barack Obama if John McCain’s opts out at this Friday’s presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi, following the Republican nominee’s announcement that he is seeking a delay of the event.

“If John McCain wants to bow out, I’m willing to step in and take his podium on Friday,” said Cynthia McKinney."

http://gretawire.foxnews.com/

[seekeronos]

Heh! I better get on the horn with the Baldwin Campaign and see if they want to make a similar deal... I'd love to see Baldwin ace the liberals and expose the nation to the paleo-conservative view of things.

[Arlene L Faller]

How silly. Obviously Obama wouldn't debate Palin, he'd just send Biden, end of story. You people aren't nearly as clever as you think you are.

[mary]

To the new arrivals:

Could you please refer to the Presidential Candidates as Senator McCain and Senator Obama. This is a high end website with higher order thinking and lots of respect.

I realize that you were just assigned here recently, however, stuff like calling Senator McCain, "McLame" does nothing to further your cause or your candidate. In fact, pointing out physical defects in a war hero is sort of just plain despicable. Thanks for reading.

[mary]

My apologies dan if I overstepped my bounds but seeing "McLame" over and over just got to me.

[SacTownMan]

So Mary will you get mad at me for calling Barry "the god king Xerxes"?

I can't bring myself to let up on the troll king!

[Bandit]

There's no need for Obama to suspend his campaign or go to DC for his 'job' since he is a witless empty suit with nothing to contribute. This is just a rerun of the MA gov election in '06 where the Dem establishment and guilt ridden liberals elected the proto-Obama Deval Patrick specifically because he was an idiot and weakling so the legislature and state senate would have control of the state. Don't worry about Obama actually trying to resolve any financial crisis - he along with Barney Frank will try to cram in more handouts to their supporters in an attempt to sabotage any workable plan becaus ethe worse the economy is the better it is for the Dems.

[markg8]

You're right, Obama has never been engaged in anything this serious on Capitol Hill. McCain has, the Keating Five.

[markg8]

seekeronos you may have forgotten there was another election in 1864. Check your "momery".

[markg8]

Sen. McCain wasn't too busy to go on CBS News with Katie Couric last night. He wants to push tomorrow night's debate to next week and cancel the VP debate entirely because he knows if the public finds out just how ill prepared and downright weird Gov. Sarah Palin is he'll lose by 20%.

What does he want to rush back to DC for? To save the economy? Who is he kidding? That's a topic he's admitted and has amply shown he knows little about. His economic policy is the same kind of radical deregulatory nonsense that got us into this mess in the first place. Ask UBS VP Phil Gramm, he wrote it. The bailout deal is 98% done anyway and if Pres. Bush didn't invite him to the White House he'd be cooling his heels at one of his many houses with nothing to do. You can be sure there won't be any hugs for the cameras with Pres. Dubya this time.

Sen. Mavericky McCain isn't going to sway any votes in the House or Senate. He's built that image of his by telling off both Republican and Democratic politicians, vowing to make them famous for daring to bring the same kind of federal spending back to their states that has made crooks like Sen. Stevens, Rep. Young and yes, Gov. Sarah Palin so popular in Alaska. On top of that he's shown up less in the senate over the last two years than anyone but Sen. Tim Johnson, the guy who had the stroke.

This stunt has more to do with his 180 degree flip flop from being "the great deregulator" to acting like he's Huey Long over the last week. It seems to be a pattern: make a giant grandstanding gesture hoping voters will ignore the scandals swirling around his advisers and running mate, his disgusting dishonest smears and his devastating gaffes. Hurricane Ike is coming? Cancel the first day of the convention! Conveniently that was the day Bush and Cheney were supposed to speak. Russia attacks Georgia? We're all Georgians now! Palin even suggested it may be necessary to start a shooting war with Russia over it. Wall St. is imploding and his "fundamentally strong economy" is ready to collapse? The New York Times isn't fair!

If Sen. McCain wants to be president in 4 months he'd better start making his case to the American people instead of flailing around with one excuse after another for not answering questions or allowing his running mate to answer them either. The debate tomorrow night should go on. If Sen. McCain isn't up to it he can send Gov. Palin like Letterman suggested.

[markg8]

Sen. McCain wasn't too busy to go on CBS News with Katie Couric last night. He wants to push tomorrow night's debate to next week and cancel the VP debate entirely because he knows if the public finds out just how ill prepared and downright weird Gov. Sarah Palin is he'll lose by 20%.

What does he want to rush back to DC for? To save the economy? Who is he kidding? That's a topic he's admitted and has amply shown he knows little about. His economic policy is the same kind of radical deregulatory nonsense that got us into this mess in the first place. Ask UBS VP Phil Gramm, he wrote it. The bailout deal is 98% done anyway and if Pres. Bush didn't invite him to the White House he'd be cooling his heels at one of his many houses with nothing to do. You can be sure there won't be any hugs for the cameras with Pres. Dubya this time.

Sen. Mavericky McCain isn't going to sway any votes in the House or Senate. He's built that image of his by telling off both Republican and Democratic politicians, vowing to make them famous for daring to bring the same kind of federal spending back to their states that has made crooks like Sen. Stevens, Rep. Young and yes, Gov. Sarah Palin so popular in Alaska. On top of that he's shown up less in the senate over the last two years than anyone but Sen. Tim Johnson, the guy who had the stroke.

This stunt has more to do with his 180 degree flip flop from being "the great deregulator" to acting like he's Huey Long over the last week. It seems to be a pattern: make a giant grandstanding gesture hoping voters will ignore the scandals swirling around his advisers and running mate, his disgusting dishonest smears and his devastating gaffes. Hurricane Ike is coming? Cancel the first day of the convention! Conveniently that was the day Bush and Cheney were supposed to speak. Russia attacks Georgia? We're all Georgians now! Palin even suggested it may be necessary to start a shooting war with Russia over it. Wall St. is imploding and his "fundamentally strong economy" is ready to collapse? The New York Times isn't fair!

If Sen. McCain wants to be president in 4 months he'd better start making his case to the American people instead of flailing around with one excuse after another for not answering questions or allowing his running mate to answer them either. The debate tomorrow night should go on. If Sen. McCain isn't up to it he can send Gov. Palin like Letterman suggested.

[Spartan112]

"Could you please refer to the Presidential Candidates as Senator McCain and Senator Obama. This is a high end website with higher order thinking and lots of respect."

Mary you haven't been here very long have you?

Seriously though, it seems this whole thing has become a way for McCain to continue hiding Palin from scrutiny.

[Bandit]

You were right up to here

You're right, Obama has never been engaged in anything

[seekeronos]

"--- seekeronos you may have forgotten there was another election in 1864. Check your "momery". ---"

Indeed, my "momery" did escape me there - so I'll give you that - there was the 1864 election.

I submit then, that it was not entirely necessary for Lincoln to depart from his ordinary campaigning schedule for a number of reasons:

(1) The office of President... while containing in its functions that of Commander-in-Chief, he did something that most presidents did - they delegated the war to their Generals-in-Chief (U.S. Grant, in Lincoln's case) and later, the General Staff and its successor organizations in the Department of Defence.

(2) You might consider also that at that time, we hardly had a 24/7 news cycle, the internet, or cable TV; therefore, such delegation to field commands and matters concerning logistics and other minutiae of war-fighting were much more easily contained in local theatres. By the same token, campaigning was a much more arduous affair, not occurring with daily sound bites and media manipulation, but involving inconvenient and expensive travel between major cities. Happily, this also meant that people were much more engaged in the politics of their republic, as they often had to travel to hear the great orator-politicians of that time speak.

(3) The War of Damnyankee Aggression - excuse me, the War between the States, was not a *total war*, at least it wasn't in the modern sense were civilian populations were deliberately targeted for massive decimation (although Sherman's March to the Sea and his foraging policies were certainly early forerunners of it). At the very least, the Southern gentlemen-warriors in that awful conflict did not widely engage in that sort of thing (and those who did were put to swift, severe military justice). Therefore, there was not a great danger to the Union-held states where Lincoln campaigned (especially by late 1864, when the CSA's fortunes were definitely taking a turn for the worse).

[Richard of Oregon]

Brillant move.

[Howard]

We are facing the worst economic melt down since the great depression. McCain says it should take first priority over politics. Obama says if you need me, call me, I'll be at the debate hall. Then, Obama says McCain should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. First of all, Obama has never set aside his personal ambition for the good of the country. He has no sense of priority. The economic problem is huge, will effect Americans for decades, and deserves more than a Presidential candidate's rubber stamp, or blank check. The walk and chew gum cliche is about as trite as Obama's slogans ... like 'change we can believe in'. Unlike Obama, McCain is responsible, and has genuine leadership qualities. Obama will say, or do anything to get elected. McCain puts Americans, and America above politics, and personal ambition. No Wright, no Pfleger, no Farrakhan, no Rezko, no Ayers, no mean Michelle, and NOBAMA !!!

[nlcatter]

Mccain blinked
and on his own turf did NOT win

[MybrothersKeeper]

So many Americans come across as completely rigid and fixed-minded when it comes to politics.I don't know if there was a brief interlude following the 60s when subliminal suggestions were run for too long on tv or what, but many seem to be incapable of looking at the big picture and evaluating what is and is not real when choosing a president.

Obama is not a Muslim. Look at his wife. Look at his children. Then look at radical Islam groups and how woman are allowed to dress and behave. Obama's background is, from what I see, lower middle class. He has direct experience in middle America. And poverty. He possesses an experiential knowledge that few presidents (besides Clinto and Reagan))in this half-century were even remotely familiar with. Certainly none of the Bush bunch knew a THING about a neighborhood where people came home from work WITHOUT a briefcase.

McCain is not level headed, never has been. This time, he was like a pin ball, all over the place when Wall Street tanked. He was the same weirdo (my words) "daredevil clowning" (his words, quoted) man when he was 3rd generation Naval officer smashing a plane here and there or taking out power lines. A pilot and son of a QUITE well off Admiral4,
His name ends in "III", for Pete's sake.That's a fairly clear caste label. Don't hear that moniker appendage much in the average blue collar 'hood. Personally, I've never trusted roman numeral people.

My brother, a 101st Green Beret, died in 'nam. McCain broke his arm and sang like a canary to get the NVN to set it. Then he got trusty privileges and was used as propaganda because his dad was a biggie Admiral. (I don't know this personally. It's just the scuttlebutt that I remember and was recently reminded ofby a REPUBLICAN friend who was also a 'nam vet and knew Mccain's rep).

I DO remember seeing McCain stepping off a plane when he was released. I felt ashamed at the time because I had an automatic feeling of dislike for the man...and I didn't know why. I recoiled the same way when I first saw Nixon standing as a bookend behind Eisenhower. And yes, I'm psychic...lol. But I will try to stick to provable facts here :)
McCain and his trophy wife are incredibly billionaire-rich and neither has even known anything but a life of privilege. McCain has no clue what life for the average American is or has been. And without DOUBT neither will ever have the "opportunity" to find out, more's the pity.

As to Obama not being "prepared" to follow in the footsteps of ...Dubya??
God forbid he COULD or WOULD.
Why is it a "bad" thing for a Presidential candidate to be ready to redefine the post? I for one am completely dismayed, disgruntled and just plain ANGERED by the current "image" that defines the American President. Buffoon. Puppet. Would-be dictator? Panderer to corporate America. Dubya the Destroyer. The list goes on...

And do we need a McBush to continue that trend and bring along a sour disposition and erratic behavior that outstrips even Dubya and Cheney?

I think not. Obama at least speaks English well, has a definite Presidential presence, and, incontrast to McBush, does not resemble in stature and personality Dobby the House Elf of harry potter fame...