The Drama Queen's Big Gamble

What we are witnessing right now is what a McCain presidency would be like -- herky jerky, bouncing from crisis to crisis, overreacting at every step.

It's taken him exactly ten days to go from the economy is strong to we're heading into the Great Depression and must stop the campaign.

But nothing has changed other than the polls, and that's why it's impossible to take this gamble seriously.

McCain can see that he cannot win the presidency unless the campaign narrative changes dramatically, so he's decided to roll the dice.

After all his talk of bipartisanship, John McCain has decided to make an intensely political move. He does not have a plan, but he's willing to drag the country through his personal drama, no matter the cost, just so that he might win the presidency.

McCain wants to demonstrate his leadership skills, but instead he's demonstrating beyond any doubt that he is temperamentally unfit to be president.

Comments

[thebeerdoctor]

Watching Barack Obama's response to McCain's attempt to postpone the debate, I would have loved it if the Illinois junior Senator would have verbally smacked him across the face. But he didn't, because that is not Obama's style. Instead he refuted McCain's suggestion with intelligence and grace.
If personal demeanor means anything, Barack Obama will be elected the next President of the United States.

[NTO08]

Obama will do what he always does...ME FIRST, COUNTRY LAST.

[indc]

McAfraid.... pulls his ignorance over his head for cover.... I want to see all the POW records to find out the real story .... he does not act like the most heroic POW every, anywhere, for all time... more like the priviledged, punk bully who is called out... McAfraid

[ayc]

Thank you - this is what I have been trying to figure out how to say.

McCain the drama queen vs no drama Obama

[AMindOfMyOwn]

Johnny Come Lately McCain, He should have done this a week ago when he could have gotten some mileage out if it, now it looks like what it is a cheap political shot. Debate needs to go on for the sake of this country. The dealmakers in Washington can do this without the Hero, he would just be in the way or.....................throw a hissy fit. Apparently this is a tandem event with President McBush, to carry on the republican torch. Nice relay John.

[PioneerKing]

If McCain thinks addressing economic issues are crucial - why didn't McCain suspend his campaign two weeks ago when the crap hit the fan. Why wait until the last two days of the federal legislativve session to be worried about returning to Washington?

McCain is still pissed that Sen. Obama refused to participate in town hall meetings and would have used anything to get out of participating in the debate.

[Dhalgren]

This is the second 'Hail Mary' pass by John McCain in a month. What does that tell us?

[boing007]

This is the second 'Hail Mary' pass by John McCain in a month. What does that tell us?

He loves playing football?

[joebiz]

Obama should have a cardboard cut-out of McCain during the "debate."

The top reasons McCain wants to postpone debate are evident:

>He's avoiding being associated with the melt down.
>He wants to co-opt the solution that is already being worked out and look like a "hero."
>He wants to look presidential and like a leader . . . a stretch
>Wants to control the ebb-flow of a losing campaign
>Wants to make sure his family's investments are protected by a taxpayer bailout
>McCain is yellow.

[zoog21]

The situation being "worked out"?? The men most responsible for this sub-prime debacle (Barney Frank and Chriss Dodd and their blind denials to reform Frannie and Freddie) are blocking any chance to get this done. I say that this is far from being "worked out" thanks to the Dems who are literally guarding the henhouse on this one.

[leftcoastliberal]

I hope nothing gets "worked out" since working things out seems to mean the titans of industry stop lecturing us liberals about our evil tax-n-spend ways and extolling the beauties of unfettered free enterprise only long enough to extort $700,000,000,000 from the American taxpayers with no questions asked.

And as for blaming Dodd and Frank for the mess created by Wall Street's long affair with deregulated greed... that's too stupid to even merit a refutation.

[Tommygun264]

Keep spinning - maybe someone will believe you. Phil Gramm authored the legislation which made the bundling and sale of sub-prime mortgages possible, thereby paving the way for banks to give mortgages to people who could not afford them, then bundle them and sell them off to unsuspecting investors before the mortgages went into default for a quick profit. McSame supported the passage of that legislation.

[ProudLiberalDan]

I know this must be hard -- seing the underpinnings of your ideology collapse under the weight of their failure.

Use the long period in opposition ahead to draft economic and foreign policies that actually work in the REAL world.

[NTO08]

The only ones caring about the debate are MSM who need it to spout their drivel...

[magicmary]

Pardon my paranoia but a sudden crisis and McCain wanting to cancel the debate... what's next, cancel the election due to a state of emergency?

God, it's so exhausting being freaked out for 8 years with the intensity of the last year! Hell, 28 years~!

[zoog21]

Its a brilliant political move and moreover, the RIGHT thing to do. Too bad all of you libs are whining over this..only because your guy didn't think to do this first. If Barry wants to debate, show up on the floor of the Senate on Friday night, but me thinks that will not happen unless Barry can bring his teleprompter. LOL

[rzan1]

McCain has demonstrated that he is hardly brilliant. HE is easly flustered, makes statements and then backtracks, does not keep a cool head in a time of crisis. He is not a critical thinker, and at this phase in our existence, we need a thinker, a person of intellect as well as someone with physical stamina. That would NOT be John McCain. That would be Barack Obama

[zoog21]

Its so sad that the only thing that Barry supporters can do is attack a man's age. You want to talk about "backtrack", how about Barry's FISA/no FISA flip flop, or on public financing of campiagns, or on meeting enemy dictators "without pre-conditions"??? Shall I go on?? Or how about Biden and the coal/no coal flip flop..(maybe he was watching FDR on TV make a cell phone call to Churchill while checking his e-mails from Elanor??). Face it, your guy is not a "thinker"...he just can't make a decision...plain and simple.

[Tommygun264]

If he did show up he would be alone - the Senate is not scheduled to be in session. But what does that matter - McSame hasn't shown up to vote on anything for months, even when he was attending one campaign event per week and spending weekends at his Sedona Ranch Estate.

Only a pub lemming could see this as anything other than a completely cowardly act by McSame. He's like the kid who talks tough about fighting you anywhere, any time, but then hears his mommy calling him at the last minute.

Will McSame call a "time out" with Putin if there is a confrontation with Russia? Is his much-touted "secret plan" for capturing Bin Laden to ask Al Queda to "hold still for a minute"? This proves McSame is not ready to lead. The real world doesn't wait for you to catch up.

[zoog21]

Its the difference between going back, taking action, and putting politics aside. Your post shows one thing and one thing only...that politics and campaigning are the only things in a Democrat's mind these days. The reason Barry will not follow McCain is because he will look like a little school boy being told to bang out the erasers by Dodd and Reid.

[sherbug]

Oh really? Yeah, it was so brilliant that he is still going to debate on Friday. Yep, you have to get up pretty early in the morning to get one over on the KryptKeeper.

We do have some parting gifts for you and please come back and play Dumb Republican.

LOL

[zoog21]

very intelligent response....now I know what kind of dimwits frequent this board

[KGinSanFrancisco]

Barack was answering questions today and showing he is on top the crisis. He is the one who called McCain at 8:30 am to propose a joint statement. McCain is the one reading from the teleprompter and not taking any questions because he is clueless and is afraid to debate Obama because the economy will be discussed. McCain wants a time out because he is panicking.

[zoog21]

If he is so "on top of the crisis" then go back to Washington and share his "brilliant" solutions with the rest of the Congress. Show that the "Messiah" can solve all....

[leftcoastliberal]

Poor wittle McCain-y wainy- afwaid to debate cuz he escared Obama will use dose big words dat cofwuse him. Bwaak, bwaak, bwaaak, I hear CHICKEN!!!!

[zoog21]

your spelling aptitude mirrors your IQ...nice job.

[TXfemmom]

The MSM media and the public should bite him badly on this. TEN DAYS AGO, HE SAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE ECONOMY WERE STRONG, and how the roof is falling.

He was either an idiot then, or an idiot now, and as such, he needs to go to the debate and stand up and take his lumps, as any person would. Running and hiding, when he helped create this mess as much as anyone, other than Phil Gramm, is a cowardly act and unbecoming.

[lost sheep]

I hope the major media DO NOT buy into this (We know FIXED NEWS will of course). If they do, then we're doomed, and our country is doomed.

[HankInTexas]

Jed, you are doing such a great job here at HUFFPO!

[demofem]

Couldn't agree more...the fundamentals were strong, now we're going down the tubes, according to McCain. AIG shouldn't get bailed out. Then it should. Let's debate. No, let's not. Good grief, I'm getting dizzy trying to follow him. Smells like panic to me.

[MsMeryMac]

They're hoping to reach an agreement by the end of the week and have this "pesky economy thing" blow over by the time the second debate is scheduled to begin, probably pushing the first debate to the end of the lineup. Obama should not play by McCain's rules! He'll look weak if he goes along with what the GOP of all people tells him to. He's exactly right: the American people need to hear from their leaders now.

[PDXKevin]

The MSM, and therefore the uninformed public, are gonna buy into this big time.