I fully understand that both McCain and Obama need to go to DC for the debate and vote over the bailout package. Not only are they, ya know, members of the legislature, but given the office to which they aspire, they need to be directly on record about this issue.
Still, I don’t understand the notion of suspending the campaign (i.e., pulling commercials or possibly rescheduling debates). It isn’t as if they can’t both go to Washington and continue to run commercials and go to Mississippi for the debate (unless the Senate is somehow in emergency session until deep into the night tomorrow, but that is looking unlikely).
Indeed, I wholly agree with Obama’s statement from yesterday:
“This is exactly the time when people need to hear from the candidates,” Mr. Obama said.
Really, is there any good argument against hearing directly from the candidates at the moment?
Again, McCain is right that he and his opponent have serious responsibilities in DC at the moment, but the overly dramatic move to “suspend” his campaign was a lot more about “look at me” than it was a bold example of leadership. It may well be a smart political maneuver, but the grandest irony is that the move to “suspend the campaign” was very much an act of campaigning itself.
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September 25th, 2008 at 8:17 am
[...] What Dr. Taylor said: Again, McCain is right that he and his opponent have serious responsibilities in DC at the moment, but the overly dramatic move to “suspend” his campaign was a lot more about “look at me” than it was a bold example of leadership. It may well be a smart political maneuver, but the grandest irony is that the move to “suspend the campaign” was very much an act of campaigning itself. [...]
September 25th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Its Zen Campaigning! “Young Grasshopper, watch me campaign by not campaigning. You will learn much from me.”
September 25th, 2008 at 9:03 am
September 25th, 2008 at 10:02 am
McCain may be a major-party presidental nominee, but he is not part of the Senate leadership and is not even a member, let alone chairman or ranking member, of any committee relevant to the bailout negotiations. He is, as you say, a legislator — and nothing more, just one of a hundred.
So when (if?) a vote is scheduled, THEN let him race to Washington to be there. In the meantime, he can make speeches, whether policy-oriented or inspirational or anti-Obama, from anywhere the campaign might take him.
P.S. McCain has not cast a single vote, on anything, since April. So much for the “he is a legislator, after all” canard.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Before he suspended his campaign I thought “given that McCain is the most vocal opponent of the current bailout plan, I have a feeling Obama’s going to have that ‘voted with Bush 90% of the time’ accusation stick.”
I’ve heard others say the suspension was a good move. I’m not convinced, personally. But I did find it interesting that all eyes turned to McCain and not Obama even before McCain started pulling commercials off the air.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:52 am
McCain has shown his age this last few weeks. Im just dying to see McCain debate Obama without his notes or a teleprompter….he’ll get hammered.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Let’s give McCain a break. Apparently he hadn’t had the time to read the three page Paulson plan since he’s been spending so much time campaigning.
He isn’t much of a multi-tasker, I guess. I’m sure once he becomes President, he won’t have to juggle multiple commitments simultaneously.
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/09/25/mccain-didn-t-bother-to-read-the-bailout-plan.aspx
Remember, just three days ago he was planning to take a nap on Friday before the debates. Now apparently he needs to suspend his campaign to get up to speed on a three page proposal that had been circulating for days.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122204781847961747.html
This guy is clearly in way over his head.
September 25th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Our country is facing the worst economic disaster since the great depression.
Even Obama says so.
It’s the responsibility of the Senate to come up with an answer.
The answer has to be decided in a few days.
The answer will dramatically affect Americans for generations to come.
McCain, Obama, and Binden are all U.S. Senators.
Throughout the campaign, Obama has turned down the chance for 10 townhall debates.
… and now, Obama refuses McCain’s request that they both postpone the debate to work
on the economic recovery package … and Obama declines, in order to campaign???
… and, opportunist slime balls, like McKinney and Barr try to capitalize on it?
I think the facts speak for themselves …
September 25th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
This deal is moving forward at the speed of light today, whereas yesterday both Dems and the GOP said it was stalling. What changed…McCain said he was coming to town.
Even if he has no input and like the deal or not, its getting done in a timely manner because of his actions.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Looking over my previous comment, I missed a few words. “given that McCain is the most vocal opponent of the current bailout plan, I have a feeling Obama’s going to have that ‘voted with Bush 90% of the time’ accusation stick.” should be “Obama’s going to have a hard time getting that … accusation to stick.”
September 25th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Yes — neither of them have anything remotely interesting or useful to say (which doesn’t make them unique in Washington). They’re not a party to the negotiations, and both are looking for which way the wind is blowing.
From a tactical perspective I think this is a good move from McCain’s POV. He’s putting pressure on Obama. If Obama follows then McCain’s the leader. If he doesn’t, he looks callous. Also with the financial wind swirling right spending $ on advertising probably has a pretty low return on investment.
McCain may not win this, but he has shown the ability to wrong foot Obama several times. With the selection of Palin, the ‘celebrity’ ads, and now this he’s shown the ability to go on the offensive and get in Obama’s head. It remains to be seen if that will be enough.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Buckland,
Based on this and your views of Palin and the press suggest that from your perspective, campaigning, especially of the the national media-linked type that actually reaches large number of citizens, is largely superfluous.
I assume that the basic issue to you is who the D is and who the R is and that you really don’t need to know much more than that?
I know this sounds snarky, and perhaps it is a bit, but really, am I that far off the mark?
BTW, I agree that politicians, by definition, blow an awful lot of hot air, but surely we can learn something from the enterprise.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Not sure I follow the logic here. I think campaigning is a good thing. However in a long campaign such as this taking time off (especially when a tactical advantage is to be had) can be a good thing. The law of diminishing returns. Both candidates could spend the next 2 weeks in North Korea and there wouldn’t be a dearth of information on their views. A saturation level can be reached. Name 3 things you’ve learned about Obama or McCain’s views from their campaigning over the last 5 days.
OK, Biden’s the exception. We’re always learning new things from him. I actually went to see him yesterday in Jeffersonville, IN (Louisville, KY area), kinda like going to NASCAR hoping to see a crash. Unfortunately, no flames.
Not sure how Palin figures into this. My point all along is that any candidate needs to do what they need to do. Lots of interviews won’t help Palin, as way too many folks who want the interviews to happen are doing so to see her fail. As I said before, I’m not feeling a groundswell of the folks around me that she should be doing more. Am I missing it? Are you seeing the groundswell in AL (PoliSci dept colleagues excepted)?
Why do you assume that? I guess anybody who disagrees really isn’t considering all the facts, must be deciding on astrological signs or chicken entrails? I’m sure if everybody were smarter Obama would win in a landslide. Not all of us who live and work outside of academia are that simplistic.
My interest right now is largely in tactics. What happens if candidate A moves, how should B react? The fact is McCain’s tactics have been much more interesting, much more effective. Obama has a strategic advantage (because lots of people do vote for D instead of R this year). Indeed the normal polls of the year seem to favor Obama by 3-5 points. However McCain keeps overcoming the strategic advantage with tactics (Palin, Celebrity, now the bailout). Lots more to be learned there than from his latest campaign speech.
September 25th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Gee, Buckland, did I hit a nerve?
No, I am not assuming anything about who is smarter (and I hardly take the position that the only smart vote is Obama–indeed, I am as near to agnostic on who to vote for this year as I have ever been. I may end up voting for Obama, breaking a string of Republican voting, btw, but I hardly feel superior about my vote one way or another). My point is that you have disparaged the notion, on numerous occasions, that getting more information on the candidate is a good thing. As such, it seemed as if all you really needed to know is who the Dem is and who the Rep is (which, actually, isn’t an unreasonable way to make the choice–and, indeed, most people choose in exactly that way).
While I take the point on the law of diminishing returns, the fact of the matter is, we have not seen the two them in a debate (although, granted, those events aren’t actually “debates” in reality) and that type of event normally does provide new information about the candidate, if anything in how they handle themselves (think Gore in 2000, for example).
Further, in re: Palin, there is hardly diminishing returns there, as she has been sheltered from the press. (And I bring her up because the other day when I mentioned her lack of press availability you can me a similar answer).
And who said I have to have a groundswell to blog about something?
September 25th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
The sky is falling!! The sky is falling!!!
Truth is: Bush, Mccain, and Rove couldn’t have planned this any better. They want another Great Depression, so they can have every-able-body citizen as a footsoldier in their mind-melting war.
NO! We can wait four more months, when Barack Obama walks into the Whitehouse on January 20, 2009. Confidence in the American consumer will be IMMEDIATE, because we will all know that George W. Bush will NO LONGER BE IN CONTROL OF OUR COUNTRY, AND IT WILL BE OUT OF MCCAIN’S REACH!
September 26th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Conspiracy theories are ofttimes viewed as a form of delusional thinking affiliated with a defective mind. A political power’s manipulation of reality is illusional thinking designed to control the minds of the masses. So call me crazy or explain to me why suddenly the economy goes into meltdown a few months before the current administration hands over the keys to White House. If I were in power I would opt to do a lame duck limp to the finish line rather than confirm my status as a failed head of state. This administration has a record of opportunistic exploitation, using distortion to its advantage. Morphing reality to conform to its agenda. So why would an emergency summit to deal with the economy be called moments before the presidential elections? Photo op for McCain to rush to Washington and appear Presidential? Distract the people from the presidential election and the candidates qualifications? Do not know what to make of my conditional mood; am I mad (insane) for imagining the government is manipulating me or mad (upset) that the government is manipulating me.
September 26th, 2008 at 5:06 am
I have to say that I agree with David Letterman that you should be able to do two things at one time if you want to be the President of the United States. McCain should be able to handle the economic issues in DC and the debate. I think McCain knows he is in trouble with the campaign and playing CHICKEN and blaming in on an issue that he really does not have much to do with will make the country think he is doing good work. I have voted Republican and Democrat in the past, and this year the Republicans are making me laugh. The bailout plan needs to have alot of oversight and not benefit these company executives.
Question…is Congress getting a raise this year??? I mean they make I am sure 6 figures….but I am sure need more because cost of living is more…yes it is more because they did not do there job in watching financial markets.
And it is sad for me to hear people say that the President is basically useless at 28% liked and even party leaders not doing anything he says. Well, if the US votes to elect McCain prepare for Bush for a few more years.
Matthew