McCain Suspends Campaign Because of Economic Crisis

Is John McCain's stated desire to suspend the campaign and postpone the first debate a cynical move made of desperation or a genuine response to the economic crisis? Yes.

McCain's appeal is a cynical move based on a genuine economic crisis. Not the economic crisis in Washington. The financial crisis is in McCain's campaign. McCain has only $85 million to play with. Even though the RNC is skirting the fringes of election law and subsidizing McCain's ad campaign, McCain is still at a disastrous financial disadvantage. Obama plans to spend $40 million in Florida alone.

Every day McCain can shave from the remaining forty odd days left in the campaign via "suspending" his campaign makes his financial disadvantage less significant. Con the media into giving him free airtime to cover his "surprising announcement?" Good. Bully Obama into pulling ads? Even better.

Here's an idea: instead of suspending the campaign, why not have the number twos on the ticket go to Washington where they can observe first hand and keep the candidates and the American people informed? I am sure Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, as potential Vice-Presidents and potential Presidents, are more than up to the task.

I'll admit, I made that last suggestion out of cynical motivations. See, even though it sounds really thoughtful and genuine, it's just an effort to score cheap points on the incompetence of the Republican vice presidential nominee.

Wonder where I learned that from.

The pure cynicism of McCain's ploy is that he is making the ultimate political move in the name of being above politics. Karl Rove must be proud of his pupil. McCain is embracing the power of the Dark Side.

The onetime maverick is now more machine than man.

Follow Bart Motes on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bmotes

Comments

[atoh]

um...actually he didn't suspend his campaign - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/25/mccain-campaign-still-act_n_129327.html

there is another story from the Associated Press along the same lines.

[MagisterLudi]

Modern elections, more than ever, are built on images and perception. The question is how the American people perceive McCain's move. How well both campaigns manipulate the media during the next 2-3 weeks will determine who wins. Will the public see images of McCain working hard on the Hill while Obama talks... and talks? OR will the public see images of McCain uselessly running around, while Obama looks Presidential and strong?
Most of talking heads initially badly misunderstood Palin's impact. The poll numbers will tell a true story soon enough on this issue. Patience.

[brenner21]

Do you really believe that all his staff and volunteers have "suspended" their work?

[Portside7]

McCain Suspends Campaign.
If McCain is not able to make it to the debate he should send in his number two "Palin" . It's time for the VP candidate to take the field. I'm sure Palin will have no trouble debating Obama.

[MHF]

I certainly hope that when he says he is suspending his campaign and fundraising ventures that he means it, because that would mean no online donations and no cashed checks. Send any monies they receive back, from the time he made that purely political annoucement until he resumes what to me has been a pathetic bid for the White House. The name calling and petty nonsense that the McCain/Palin ticket calls newsworthy and the (but I love em) 24 hour media thrives on and milks for all they are worth makes the average American weep for our future. With the state of our Nation and our loss of creditability around the globe people should clearly see just how much Barack Obama and a whole new cabinet could begin to save our sinking ship. It is time to clean house. Barack's remark about a president handling more then one crisis at a time, is going to be the norm when he enters the White House in 09, as King George is leaving a mess worse then a teenager's bedroom. I've got my dust rag and I'm ready to work I only hope the rest of the country is.

[ajax2]

McCain Suspends Campaign Because of Economic Crisis But Attends Clinton Rally

[takdan]

Maverick? He's no James Garner that's for sure.

[koromuso]

Actually, he wants to move the first Presidential debate to October 2 (which is when Palin and Biden are scheduled to debate) and "reschedule" the vice-Presidential debate at some time in the unforeseeable future.

Give me a break! How dumb does he think we are?

Or better yet...how dumb does he think Sarah Palin is?

[JPHR]

I would not not mind if he suspends his campaign indefinitely..
After the crises he can run again in 2016.

[RStone]

I agree. I just hope he doesn't suddenly decided to suspend the election. This is crazy stuff.

Here is the math.

At http://www.boppoll.com, 1 person can bop at a rate of about 60 bops per minute. 1000 people can do 60,000 bops per minute. 100,000 can add 6,000,000 bops per minute.

Team Obama! Let's add some serious bops to McCain's number now that he is on hiatus from the presidential campaign.

[JohnFObama]

The only difference between Karl Rove and John McCain, Karl Rove never tried to portray his crap as 'above the fray' maverickness, Rove knew exactly how low he went, and so did we. John McCain seems to still delusionally believe he is a better person than the average politician. John McCain is an average political hack with the addition of a short fuse, not the type of person we want in the White House.

[appetite88]

McCain Suspends Campaign Because of Bush Economic Crisis

Or is it...

Bush Suspends Economy Because of McCain Campaign Crisis

?

[joebaggadonuts]

Maybe he's suspending it because Bush has told him the election is being called off.

[joebaggadonuts]

If McCain can derail this phoney bailout plan AND dump Sara and put Al Gore in her place, I'll vote for him.

[Anastasia]

To go even more cynical:

McCain's ploy, may be a way of canceling the VP debates, all together. If the presidential debates are bumped up to the VP time slot, and the rest of the debates are held on schedule, Sarah won't be falling on her face in front of a national audience, will she?

It may be that McCain is not ducking his debates so much as attempting to rearrange things so that Palin won't have to go up against Biden.

[JungleRoses]

Chicken Little, as the cookie crumbles