The Presidential Debates

[Comicfilmer]

The Friday debate has cost a small town (less than 10,000 people) millions of dollars and has taken months (almost a year) to put together. Journalists are even staying in peoples' homes to cover the showdown because the town is so small.

 

[jaguarr]

The Friday debate has cost a small town (less than 10,000 people) millions of dollars and has taken months to put together. Journalists are even staying in peoples' homes to cover the showdown because the town is so small.

Just another way for John McCain to destroy the economy!



jag

 

[Comicfilmer]

Drudge had a link that CNN was reporting that Obama "sees no reason to suspend campaign." The link was pulled - possibly because of another press embargo (like the one leading up to the McCain announcement).

 

[danoyse]

Obama's camp is saying the debate should go on this Friday. It looks like they're the ones who contacted McCain about making the joint statement.

 

[lazur]

This is such a stupid move. Is Congress even going to be in session on Friday? Is Congress even going to pass this bailout plan by then?

Not to mention, I thought the debates were pretty much set in stone. I highly doubt McCain is going to get his way with this.

I don't see this as a stunt. McCain has demonstrated many times in the past that he believes in country over campaign. Obama should follow suit. This is, after all, higher in priority and neither candidate can give this the attention it deserves AND run a campaign at the same time, is the sentiment I get from this.

 

[danoyse]

I don't see this as a stunt. McCain has demonstrated many times in the past that he believes in country over campaign. Obama should follow suit. This is, after all, higher in priority and neither candidate can give this the attention it deserves AND run a campaign at the same time, is the sentiment I get from this.

But do you think he would have called it to a halt if he wasn't falling behind in the polls? I doubt it.

 

[Comicfilmer]

I don't see this as a stunt. McCain has demonstrated many times in the past that he believes in country over campaign. Obama should follow suit. This is, after all, higher in priority and neither candidate can give this the attention it deserves AND run a campaign at the same time, is the sentiment I get from this.

Really? Okay then, what exactly makes you believe that John McCain is going to be the one who can figure all of this out? You don't think they can figure it out without his input? Besides, Congress has already given both McCain and Obama a "no thanks" as far as involving them in the matter as they don't want the partisanship that comes along with them both.

The debate should go on as scheduled.

McCain is down in the polls and weak on deomestic issues. This is all politics.

 

[jaguarr]

I don't see this as a stunt. McCain has demonstrated many times in the past that he believes in country over campaign. Obama should follow suit. This is, after all, higher in priority and neither candidate can give this the attention it deserves AND run a campaign at the same time, is the sentiment I get from this.

This is such a stupid move. Is Congress even going to be in session on Friday? Is Congress even going to pass this bailout plan by then?

Not to mention, I thought the debates were pretty much set in stone. I highly doubt McCain is going to get his way with this.

jman brings up a good point, here. What if anything would either Obama or McCain actually be able to DO on this issue with the time they would gain by not having the debate? It's not something they can fix single-handedly, after all. It's a political move and not much else.

jag

 

[Comicfilmer]

This is McCain trying to shock his way back up in the polls - just like his seleciton of Sarah Palin. This is political opportunism at its worst - and its quite obviously so.

Drudge is again reporting that Obama will say that the debate is still on...

 

[lazur]

Jeez, some of you people just amaze me. When McCain is ahead in the polls, something must be wrong, but when he's behind, all is right in the world.

McCain is known for doing unpopular things that compromise his campaigns. Ultimately, his allegiance is to this country and anyone who disputes that after he's spent 40 years of his life serving has got some serious issues with reality.

I don't like everything the guy has done, and I don't like how he (or Obama) have run their campaigns, but damnit the man is a patriot and he loves his country, and I commend him for his honor and for trying to do the noble thing during what will most undoubtedly be the worst economic disaster this country has ever seen.

The polls are meaningless. The real poll will be held when all Americans cast their ballots, and like I said before, I don't believe Obama will win no matter what he does anyway.

 

[Comicfilmer]

Mississippi is saying the debate is still on. Early reports are saying Obama is still "go" for the debate. The debate comission is saying they are on schedule and have an agreement with the campaigns. They want McCain there. On time. Friday.

 

[danoyse]

Now he's agreeing to the debate only if the bailout passes on Friday:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...day-debate-will-take-place-if-bailout-passes/

McCain aide: Friday debate will take place if bailout passes
Posted: 03:56 PM ET

(CNN) — McCain senior advisor Mark Salter told reporters Wednesday that the Arizona senator’s decision followed two days of discussions with colleagues on Capitol Hill, who told him that the bailout plan from Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson faced an uphill fight.

He also said that McCain called President Bush today and told him of the plan, but would not characterize the president’s reaction to the proposal.

The McCain campaign will suspend airing all ads and all campaign events pending an agreement with Obama, though Salter did not know whether John McCain will suspend fundraising activities.

He added that McCain would take part in the debate as scheduled if Congress reached agreement on the measure by Friday morning.

 

[rdh007]

I'm confused.

 

[Gilpesh]

Now he's agreeing to the debate only if the bailout passes on Friday:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...day-debate-will-take-place-if-bailout-passes/

So now Bush is his buddy now?

 

[The Senator]

Jeez, some of you people just amaze me. When McCain is ahead in the polls, something must be wrong, but when he's behind, all is right in the world.

McCain is known for doing unpopular things that compromise his campaigns. Ultimately, his allegiance is to this country and anyone who disputes that after he's spent 40 years of his life serving has got some serious issues with reality.

I don't like everything the guy has done, and I don't like how he (or Obama) have run their campaigns, but damnit the man is a patriot and he loves his country, and I commend him for his honor and for trying to do the noble thing during what will most undoubtedly be the worst economic disaster this country has ever seen.

The polls are meaningless. The real poll will be held when all Americans cast their ballots, and like I said before, I don't believe Obama will win no matter what he does anyway.

I have to disagree.

Our economy has been in turmoil since last week, but McCain didn't make a single call to suspend campaigning until today. A day where he is nine points behind Obama nationally, according to the latest ABC News poll. A day where several polling organizations is placing Colorado and New Mexico in Obama's column-- meaning if he wins all of the Kerry states, in addition to Iowa and the two previously listed, Obama will win the electoral vote. A day where a poll was released claiming that Americans believe Obama is better equipped to handle the economic crisis we are facing.

So what does he do? He tries to get back in the spotlight. The Palin media love boat seems to have sunk asunder, his vast negative attacks from weeks' past are being questioned by people within his own party, the First Lady claims that Palin doesn't have enough foreign policy experience-- not to mention the first debate is two days away, and many analysts predict that the winner of the first debate may run away with a clear advantage for the next foreseeable month.

So what does he do? He gets up in front of the cameras, and states that he is suspending his campaign to focus on the economic crisis. And he wants to suspend the first debate.

Which is interesting to me, considering he didn't do the same thing two weeks ago when Lehman Brothers first went under. He didn't do anything last week, when gas prices started to soar and Lehman brothers went under. He stalled, he waited, and now that the polls are against him, now that he has fallen out of the spotlight, he is trying to get attention again.

Great, I'm glad he's willing to go back to Congress and work on this very important matter. I'm only a little disappointed that, for two weeks, as he toured around the country making inadequate statements about his opponent and slamming the media for being "sexist," he couldn't have gone back to Washington to show what kinds of "solutions" he can bring to the table (other than firing people he can't fire, mind you).

This is politics, pure politics, and I am frankly surprised that you don't see this.

 

[The Senator]

Now he's agreeing to the debate only if the bailout passes on Friday:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...day-debate-will-take-place-if-bailout-passes/

Well, it's going to suck for him Friday night, then, considering the Obama campaign has already announced plans to debate on Friday. I think it would be against McCain's wishes to see Obama stand on a stage for two hours and discuss his plans for the economy, while McCain tries to bolster his image in Washington.

Also, there's nothing he can done if the bailout doesn't pass on Friday, so why is it so hard for him to actually debate?

 

[danoyse]

And now we have a McCain aide pointing out that Obama's never made an important decision like this, and they're denying that they ever got a call from Obama this morning--refuting the claim that Obama's camp actually called them first about this.

Yeah, this is really putting party politics aside.

 

[Gilpesh]

Well, if Obama called first... the phone company has the records. So if he really wants to prove that he did... time to call up for a copy of it.

Cause McCain isn't going to admit it and his campaign people definitely won't admit it.

 

[The Senator]

And now we have a McCain aide pointing out that Obama's never made an important decision like this, and they're denying that they ever got a call from Obama this morning--refuting the claim that Obama's camp actually called them first about this.

Yeah, this is really putting party politics aside.

This is really what the situation looks like to me:

MCCAIN: We are suspending our campaign to focus on the economy, and we want the debate postponed until we have a solution.

PUBLIC: ... ?

MCCAIN: Well, Obama never made an important decision like this before, so we want him to make one now.

PUBLIC: ...yeah, but, this doesn't make any sense

MCCAIN: We want attention, dammit! Elect me, I am such a maverick!

I mean, political satirists couldn't make this stuff up.

 

[danoyse]

Well, if Obama called first... the phone company has the records. So if he really wants to prove that he did... time to call up for a copy of it.

Cause McCain isn't going to admit it and his campaign people definitely won't admit it.

They said he called, but McCain never got the call because he was busy with economic advisors all day.

He doesn't pick up calls from Obama? Really?

 

[Excel]

He should send in Palin.

 

[The Senator]

Letterman's thoughts on this "campaign suspension":

"You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."

"He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sara Palin. Where is she?"

"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"

 

[Schlosser85]

So far McCain is doing a pitifully inadequate job of living up to his reputation as a war hero and a straight-shooting maverick. He's looking like a complete chicken who's terrified to actually debate Obama, frankly.

 

[JackMercy]

but damnit the man is a patriot and he loves his country, and I commend him for his honor and for trying to do the noble thing during what will most undoubtedly be the worst economic disaster this country has ever seen.

Hmm...

That sounds...familiar...


I can almost hear the Trevor Rabin score underneath...


Oh yeah! That's it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCJeR0UebR8

 

[Visionary]

Maybe he'll be busy brushing his rotten teeth that night.