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

[mm29464]

zjemi posted this on an earlier post: "So the McCain campaign never considered what it would do to the many ordinary people and small institutions and cities in Mississippi, the television schedules, etc. if he just canceled the debate at the last minute? Sounds like someone who's used to not considering the needs and feelings of his servants when he wants to change his mind. Very arrogant, rude and very elitist."

i think this is excellent and should be used as a line of attack against mccain, further amplifying obama's charge that mccain is out of touch. he, and republicans, don't get how the pain of their lousy decisions trickle down to the average person. that is truly tricle down economics. for him to cavalierly throw off what an entire state has been planning for an entire year shows mccain's lack of character and judgment.

GO OLE MISS REBS!!!!! HOTTY TODDY!!!!

[Cooper1608]

McSame doesn't giveashit about anybody but himself. He could care l ess about the many people that prepared in advance for that debate. Look at the millions that would be lost also. That's why he is going t o tank in the polls. This man can't stand up under this little bit of pressure what on earth would he do as POTUS? He is a pathetic little man.

[BillyT]

Looks like Chicken McNugget is living up to his name!!

[DFutureIsNow]

Palin wont debate Biden either, does that means I get some free fries on the side with my moose burger?

[wbm]

Hold the event as planned. Sen. Obama answers his questions in the time allowed. The cameras focus on an empty rethug chair for the time their side is allowed. Sen. Obama is allowed his rebuttal time, and the empty chair is allowed equal rebuttal time.

It will be wonderful political theatre.

[chitown8]

Ha! Agree!

Moderator Mccain How do you plan to help Pakitan in there attacks aganist the taliban?

Camera pans over to the empty chair!

Sen Obama!

[Cooper1608]

wbm, sounds good to me.

[DFutureIsNow]

It will show the American people that there is only one serious candidate running for president of the United States that is willing to be accountable to them only.

[stayinsouth1981]

Surely, somewhere in DC they could find a GREEN screen to place behind McCain. Have a virtual debate folks. Unless he's really wanting to bail on the debates.

[brijit]

Wasn't there a Monty Python segment featuring a debate between John Cleese and "a small patch of brown liquid (possibly creosote)"?

[PennLawyer]

Speaking of Monty Python: McCain is channeling Brave Sir Robin:

Minstrel: [singing] Brave Sir Robin ran away...
Sir Robin: *No!*
Minstrel: [singing] bravely ran away away...
Sir Robin: *I didn't!*
Minstrel: [singing] When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled.
Sir Robin: *I never did!*
Minstrel: [singing] Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about, and valiantly, he chickened out.
Sir Robin: *Oh, you liars!*
Minstrel: [singing] Bravely taking to his feet, he beat a very brave retreat. A brave retreat by brave Sir Robin

[BowlingForRevenge]

The "fans" at Ole Miss are sporting

McCAIN * BAILIN signs

I don't even think McCain's Mississippi roots can save him now....LOL­!!!!

[chitown8]

What Mississippi roots?

Michelle has more Mississippi roots than Mccain!

[BowlingForRevenge]

FACT: McCain spent his boyhood summers at the McCain family PLANTATION in Carroll Co. MISSISSIPPI!!!

Their is a ...and this is the truth...a slave family reunion every 2 years at Teoc the McCain Plantation!!! McCain claimed to not know his family every owned slaves he thought the blacks "sharecropped" which they did when he was a child.

Here's the link to the article that ran in yesterdays Memphis' Commercial Appeal

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/24/mccain-family-has-deep-mississippi-roots/

[agandia]

Hillary is the one with Mississpi roots

[bubblebee]

I don't think Mc Panic is scared of the Presidentail debate. It is the Vice Presidential debate that he is scared of. He knows, like all of us, that Gov Qyalin is not ready and will most likely embarass the ticket.

[george venny]

Whole "suspension" plan to push back presidential debate to next Thursday and bump VP debate until "a later date". What Cajones!!!

If you made a bad pick and she's not ready just say it! No way that VP debate gets moved, all of America is watching and judging on how she wiffed on Couric she will flop big time!!!!

Hindenburg my friends...­. hindenburg! Yin and yang shall be restored!

[thecanadian]

They should HOLD the Debate anyway. If McCain is too fearful to show up - Obama will be there.
Have him go through every topic from Seniors Care, Pensions to Tax, Oil, Foreign Affairs etc.

Prepare for both Scenarios. If McCain shows up - fine. If not Obama will be there.

DO NOT allow McCain to cause another dirty smear and trick on the U.S Ctizens.

Tell McCain you are holding it with or without him. The bully tactics and insane
behaviour have to stop!

[thecanadian]

They should HOLD the Debate anyway. If McCain is too fearful to show up - Obama will be there.
Have him go through every topic from Seniors Care, Pensions to Tax, Oil, Foreign Affairs etc.

Prepare for both Scenarios. If McCain shows up - fine. If not Obama will be there.

DO NOT allow McCain to cause another dirty smear and trick on the U.S Ctizens.

Tell McCain you are holding it with or without him. The bully tactics and insane
behaviour have to stop!

[Fudgefase]

I'm sure, at the last minute, he'll be able to participate after all - via a satellite link, from an office where his guys are all round him (but off camera) with crib boards and teleprompt­s......
It's his only chance - you heard it here first.

[imfedup]

I doubt that Obama would agree to this option. He absolutely should not, for just those reasons.

[scurryscurryandyshere]

The town of Oxford MS has been waiting for this debate all year.

If McCain does indeed drop out, and Obama does show up in Oxford and make an appearance at all the various events already in place to celebrate the occasion- Obama takes Mississippi.

EVERY powerful person in the state has a connection to Ole Miss. McCain will pay.

[Rog49Thomas]

I'm missing something here.

Just what expenditures has Ole Miss undertaken that will lose it $6mm dollars.
And just what revenues was it hoping to make?

How about investing $6mm in improving education rather than hosting a silly debate?

Oh wait this is the USA and the South.
I guess they could always spend the money where it really counts - FOOTBALL

[jplass]

wow. the whole article was based on outlining all of the troubles they went through which cost them all of that money. you have made us all dumber for having posted that comment.

[stayinsouth1981]

jplass, did you even bother to READ the NYTs article? Where did it talk about money spent preparing for the debates?

That article was about change at Ole Miss, Oxford and in Mississippi. What I read was a summary of the changes the current chancellor made since he took over. I read the insights and experiences of black students and a professor who had been a student in '68. I read how people feel to be treated as less than. I read how fraternities are still getting away with hateful behavior. The article described how the students and faculty have attempted to make REAL changes following a recent racially motivated event.

[longingforla]

You are missing a quite a lot. Ole Miss has been looking forward to this opportunity to present a new face to the country, to show that it has changed since it first admitted a black student in 1962. Check out the article in yesterday's NY Times called "Debate Host, Too, Has a Message of Change: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/us/24miss.html?th&emc=thh) The university has a whole slew of activities organized to coincide with the debate.

This is unbelievably selfish of John McCain. In ostensibly putting "country first" he has completely disrespected the University of MIssissippi, the Presidential Debate Commission, Jim Lehrer, and every network and media representative who will cover the debate.

[Tommygun264]

The shear ignorance of your statement is astounding. You must be a pub.

[grizhead63]

McCain is cancelling the debate, the vp debate, fundraisers and public appearances.

Whats up with all of that?

[raskolnikov72]

He could be sick ... see story on front page about his left eye ...

[RJKruger]

John McCain's shock and awe tactics are really schlock and awful. Opportunity to show leadership? How about ANOTHER sleight-of-hand maneuver? Cancel the first day of the Republican convention­...tap Sarah Palin...co­mpare Obama to Paris Hilton and Brittney Spears...c­all the economy fundamentally strong...c­all fundamentals of the economy the American worker...p­ound on the surge, ignoring the other variables.­..lie about protection when visiting Iraq...kee­p Palin under wraps by attacking the Fourth Estate..."­fire" Phil Gramm, but really keep him...rele­ase anyone assoicated with lobbyists on his campaign, but keep Rick Davis...go to New Orleans and decry Katrina two years later and eat cake on the day of its real devastatio­n...say he doesn't want to keep bringing up his POW history, but mention it nearly daily...sa­y he's the change candidate looking out to reform Washington when he has supported Pres. Bush 90 percent of the time in 2007...urg­ently "fly" to Washington when he hasn't been there in the senate since April...ca­ncel the David Letterman show, saying he is urgently needed in Washington, only to go down the street to CBS and be interviewed by Katie Couric...A­ND THIS IS WHAT I CAN REMEMBER IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES.

He needs a quiet vacation on the beaches of Siam. Maybe Sarah Palin can shoot monkeys from low-flying planes there...

[NTO08]

Too bad...deba­te is history...­live with it.

[PlainBread]

Obama could show up and answer all the questions by himself, while McCain, like yout said about the debate, is history.

[joeythetrollslayer]

The debate is going forward. McCain believes he has turned the corner, and cannot bring himself to debate a man whom he believes should not even be running, like a world class major-leager (McCain obviously) forced to play a kid from little-league. Idiotic. He has so much contempt for that other guy, he won't be seen in the same room with him. Besides no one told him it was going to be on Friday anyways. He goes for botox on those days. He was also going to invent the economy on that day too.
Instead, Stephen Colbert, graciously accepted McCain's offer to debate what's-his-face. People, it's going to be a bloodbath.

[PrairieDog]

McCain is a quitter. The event goes on with or without the phony GOP "reformer".

[chitown8]

Obama said he would be there!

[Kache]

Obama called McCain at 8:30 this morning to propose they issue a joint statement about the bailout. At 2:30 they talked again and agreed to do so. 15 minutes later the McCain camp sends out emails to the media announcing they are suspending the campaign. The announcement email was more like a memo than a press release.

What happened in that 15 minutes that scared the bejezus out of McCain? This was not a thought-out decision. This was panic.

[chitown8]

Ha!

Damn you 15 minutes!

[pjburns11]

It's shameful that as McCain is running off to pretend he knows how to "save the country", Old Miss demonstrates the sort of bottom-lined based profiteering that has created this financial mess. As an institution they should be satisfied to be a part of history, and that is lucrative enough in itself. I can't even imagine how this debate could generate $5.5 million, but I am sure it has to do with lawyers and financiers sweeping in to negotiate television contracts, ticket sales and whatever schemes they can think up. The greed is everywhere, it seems. And now it looks like we, who have played by the rules, will end up paying the price for those who have not.

[tcv]

Um, did you not read Dr. Mullins's quote? We aren't looking to "generate" 5.5 million, we have SPENT 5.5 million. The university and the town of Oxford have twisted themselves inside out in preparation for this debate, with excitement and pride, expending countless resources to meet the requirements of the Secret Service, both campaigns, and the Debate Commission. We have been planning for this debate for an entire year. We have transformed our downtown so that it looks like the American flag vomited all over it. Schoolchildren have painted murals. The university has set up events and guest speakers for the last few months. For McCain to pull this crap at the last minute means that these resources will be totally wasted. I get that you're not a McCain fan, but please don't accuse us of "profiteering" if we voice the fact that we are very pissed off.

[freedomthrutruth]

John McCain is mentally and emotionally unstable, but I think ultimately he'll show up for the debate.

[SoCalNick]

people face the facts:

1. a few days ago their wasn't even a crisis for john mccain, because - you know - the fundamentals of our economy are strong.

2. their is no need for john mccain in the congress, because he is not an economy expert. remember that he said himself that he doesn't know as much about the economy as he should.

3. he is not even a member of the committee who works on the bailout!

4. democrats and republicans are already working bipartisan.