Ole Miss Officials: Debate Cancellation Would Be $5.5 Million Loss

Ironically enough, if John McCain goes through with his threat to skip the foreign policy debate scheduled for this Friday for the sake of prolonging and complicating the ongoing negotiations over the Paulson bailout package, it may end up creating another distressed asset -- the University of Mississippi's investment in Friday's face-off. Officials from Ole Miss told ABC News today that a cancellation would be "devastating" to the University -- and that a postponement might not be possible:

Andrew Mullins, special assistant to University Chancellor Robert Khayat, told ABC News that the Ole Miss campus has been transformed to accommodate the candidates and the press. Road blocks are in place on campus and in the community and the debate television set for the candidates has already been constructed. He said the university has spent roughly five and half million dollars getting ready for the debate.

Mullins also noted that if the Commission on Presidential Debates asks the campus to hold the debate at a later date, he is not sure the university would be able to accommodate them.

"It's huge. You cannot just say that you're not going to do this thing," Mullins said. "I don't have any idea whether we do the debate" at a later date. "[We] probably wouldn't do it."

Comments

[Icantbelieveher]

We can just add Ole Miss to the bail out package!

[Bubba Gump]

Since the bills are going to come due at the University of Mississippi, anyway, let Senator Barack Obama speak. If John McCain chooses to not show up (even though Congress isn't scheduled to be in session during the debate, and you think the SENATE wouldn't help TWO of their own?), I've got one suggestion for Obama. At the start, look into the camera, smile, and repeat what my human resources manager told me: "Showing up, on time, is 80% of the job."

[Hope4ChangeNow]

lmao!! You got that right.....perfect

[mnyobpres]

Sarah Palin supported Obama before VP pick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO6dmBm1SFw&NR=1

[Icantbelieveher]

Obama needs to put that in an ad -- even Palin backs him!

[JFM]

So, if McCain doesn't show up, he'll send Palin in his place to debate Obama? That's what being ready to stand in for the president means, right? I think McCain will blink.

AND: How is it costing Ole Miss $5.5MM in preparations? That just seems absurd. Some of the debate cost must be carried by the commission on debates. I'd love to see that expense report.

[seabass]

how dare mc cain cause more financial loss to anyone under the guise of helping out in washington. he and his band of greedy pigs caused this and now he's dissing university of mississippi and cause them financial loss. it is a a charade and the secret service details and costs related to it be damned too. more l wasted money cause he wants to put it off. if he studied day and night he would not be able to debate obama effectively. he is stupid, no hero, totally dishonorable. rushing back to washington, but what about the photos of the touch up make up on Katie Couric's show. doesn't care it's mac cain first...and darling vacuous sarah is just like him...she wouldn't mind missing a debate she knows she will lose too. last response from her, "gonna bring 'em to ya." when she couldn't answer a question she tried to dodge 4 times. sick...they are both sick why are we stuck with these losers?

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

MS govenor speaking. Think he'll dis McC? Nah....dis a fellow repub?

[concernvoter]

We all know that John McCain is not ready for the debate. We also know that Senator McCain is trying to get credit as though he solved the bailout. Well, we know that is not true. John McCain is one sorry GOP. First of all, McCain know that he is losing and he thought by picking Sarah Palin for the VP would give him some props. Well, Sarah is not too bright herself. The both of them need to sit down. The tricks that they are trying to use will not work. The bible speaks in Isaiah 54:17, No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. McCain and Palin need to stop playing. Ole Miss has been looking forward for this debate for 3 years. I feel that it should go on. The American people need to know what's going on.

[tstrimling]

America First? I think not...by casually suggesting that the debate be postponed (obviously without discussing this possiblity with University of Mississippi officials), McCain is putting campaign and politics front and center. With everything going on in the world and now with our economy in a freefall meltdown, there couldn't be a more important time for the candidates to face voters and tell them how they will steer our precarious ship through this storm.

[kutkreata]

Barack should go ahead & show up & do his thing. He could flip alot of voters. He is strong in the northern part of Mississippi near Memphis, and has the Jackson area on lock. Obama would probably gain alot of McCain supporters. The university would not be the only ones suffering, so would the area business owners like hotels & restaurants. This can't be going over well with those small town folks in these tough times. Not showing up to that debate would be suicide for McCain's campaign.

[nvr2late]

Absolutely no to Obama giving his foreign policy speech solo. If you all have been paying close attention, any information that Obama says in public McCain utilizes to his advantage. For instance, my understanding is Obama is the one who reached out to McCain in a conversation with the two on working together re the bailout, and just minutes later McCain makes this public announcement. This has been his MO. For instance, incorporating "change" into his platform, using the word "enough" now. If it is an option for Obama to give his speech on foreign affairs alone on Friday night, McCain forfeits his foreign affairs speech period. But even then, McCain will use whatever information he feels Obama shared that would help him win, he'll use it out on the campaign trail.

[starfire426]

This is my theory: Mc's campaign has careened so far off course until he's thrown up his hands in sheer frustration and is returning to Washington on the premise of being there for the bail out debate, but in reality as a safe haven for him during the tempest that's transpiring within his own campaign which obviously he's lost contol over (If he ever was in control).

There are at least two camps within his campaign who are warring: one camp wants to prevent McPalin from going out and making any more gaffes. They want to severely limit Mc's and Sarah's face time with the media and the American public staving off closer scrutiny. The other camp wants them out there, but only on their terms (ie: "friendly"media such as Fox News or "fluff" appearances such as Rachael Ray) and of course nothing substantive is to be discussed by either them.

Once again, the American public ends up with short shrift.

[Hope4ChangeNow]

Do you think that McCain was 1 step away from blowin' his top, losin' his "temper" and had to step back to regroup before he lost his cool?

[kate9]

McCain's cancellation is a slap in the face to the American public as well as the State of Mississippi.
His refusal to debate at this time is a phony argument as he found time for the Clinton initiative today and his numerous appearances on television.

He needs to debate and so should his vice president candidate.

[TchoupitoulasCanal]

The best thing Mr. O can do at this point is show up, even if he is the only one to do so.

If the GOP refuses to debate in Mississippi, it will show (once again) that their party is more than willing to brush off the Gulf Coast States in times of crisis, both natural and economic.

[freddie11]

Well, Obama will show up, at least and maybe he'll put Mississippi in the win column.

[MantisMKE]

If Obama ends up on that stage by himself with and empty podium next to him, does that mean he could give an hour long, detailed breakdown of HIS plans for foreign policy since McCain is not there to offer a rebuttal? If they put it on I don't see why he couldn't. That's free prime time TV.

[YankeeYahoo]

If O stands there alone ... then McChicken will squawk that he didn't get equal time.

[starfire426]

I think what would be more impressive would be for Senator Obama to stand at his podium and then the camera fade away to the empty podium where McNoShow should be and remain there for the entire hour...without anything being spoken...pictures speak a thousand words!!!!

[Witkacy]

Owning the venue by himself wouldn't be the only benefit - I mean, my god, McCain is on the precipice of totally sealing the fate of his disgraced, moribund party (don't care about the polls, the methodology is BS). "Hail Mary" doesn't describe the week-by-week crazy desperate improvisatory character of this campaign down the stretch. The verdict will very soon be in, that even after decades in Washington McCain is politically retarded and a piss-poor manager, to boot. And what in the hell do you need for POTUS, if not managerial skills?

Why is there even any question anymore whether we need Obama/Biden?? Let us all join the future in which we live, for chrissakes, and leave the elderly Nixonians & Reaganites behind!