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Eric Schmeltzer

Eric Schmeltzer

Posted: September 29, 2008 10:11 PM

McCain's Massive Fail


Whether you're happy that the Wall Street bailout was rejected by the House, or disappointed, one thing is abundantly clear - McCain went "all in" on the bailout, made it the single real-time test of his leadership. He quote-unquote "suspended" his campaign, so he could get down and dirty in the negotiations, and show how John McCain brings people together to get things done.

In fact, in a premature victory dance, this morning:

In a hard-hitting speech here before several thousand very enthusiastic supporters, McCain bragged about having played a leading role in the congressional agreement on a $700 billion financial sector bailout package.


"I went to Washington last week to make sure that the taxpayers of Ohio and across this great country were not left footing the bill for mistakes made on Wall Street and evil and greed in Washington," he said

.

It was a massive, massive fail.

Democrats delivered the votes they promised in the House. House Republicans bolted. The same House Republicans that John McCain took full credit for bringing into the fold. In fact, he was so confident that he thought he had enough in tow to pass a bill, he blustered about it all morning.

But, this wasn't just a failure in his self-created leadership test, it was a failure to even keep his finger on the pulse of his own party's caucus, showing himself to be utterly clueless as to where his House members stood, as late as this morning.

McCain likes to paint himself as the guy who can reach out his arms and bring people from all sides in for a big group embrace. This vote was when he was going to prove it.

Yet, instead, all he showed is that he's the lost, erratic, out-of-touch, flailing, impulsive gambler that the public is coming to believe he is.

Whether you're happy that the Wall Street bailout was rejected by the House, or disappointed, one thing is abundantly clear - McCain went "all in" on the bailout, made it the single real-time test of ...
Whether you're happy that the Wall Street bailout was rejected by the House, or disappointed, one thing is abundantly clear - McCain went "all in" on the bailout, made it the single real-time test of ...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Shellly
04:30 PM on 09/30/2008
Didn't Obama say at Invesco Field that he was going to make John McCain own George Bush's failed polices? Here is a portion from that speech..

It's not because John McCain doesn't care; it's because John McCain doesn't get it.

(APPLAUSE)

For over two decades -- for over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy: Give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else.

In Washington, they call this the "Ownership Society," but what it really means is that you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck, you're on your own. No health care? The market will fix it. You're on your own. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, even if you don't have boots. You are on your own.

(APPLAUSE)

Well, it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America. And that's why I'm running for president of the United States.
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
LetMeUnderstandThis
03:46 PM on 09/30/2008
Last Day to Register is Oct 10

1) Register
2) Get Someone Else Registered
3) All of you go VOTE on Nov 4

You can not celebrate a Victory wihtout a win. Keep grinding DEMS DO NOT GET COMPLACENT HERE, THERE IS STILL ALOT OF WORK TO BE DONE. THERE ARE 35 DAYS LEFT UNTIL ELECTION DAY!!

Obama/Biden 08
03:45 PM on 09/30/2008
I agree with everything you said, BUT... does using "fail" rather than "failure" have some significance that escapes me? Initially, I had read the headline as JM's massive "fall," which makes a lot of sense; but his massive "fail"? .
03:26 PM on 09/30/2008
I am interested to see how he could turn this around to his advantage. That must be very entertaining.
03:07 PM on 09/30/2008
"Mission Accomplished"
02:43 PM on 09/30/2008
Even if he runs to wash again, he already failed once! A 2nd interference won't look any better, even if the repub's finally come around! It will look just like a 2nd stunt, that no one believe he was the leader.
02:32 PM on 09/30/2008
*

So . . . how's thet Bush Economy working for you???
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
DCinFrance
As a matter of fact, it's all dark.
01:58 PM on 09/30/2008
Let's not dance the happy dance too soon. McCain is about to double down. A compromise will be reached. He's got nothing to lose and is therefore playing with house money. In all likelihood he will "suspend" his campaign again, get the VP debate off the table, and again claiming victory. It's all or nothin' now, and why not?

And what is there to stop this circus? To stop him, we have to have an all out market crash, and the middle class will disproportionally pay the price.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
hangdogit
Progressive with some Libertarian (abolish DEA).
01:48 PM on 09/30/2008
McCain's mythological battle against evil has run into...the House Republicans? His leadership allegation is preposterous.
02:42 PM on 10/01/2008
Well, at least he found some evil people.
11:55 AM on 09/30/2008
6 Questions for McCain.

1.) How can you look the country straight in the eyes and tell them Sarah Palin is more qualified to be Vice President of the United States than Tom Ridge?

2.) Why won't you release ALL of your medical records and allow the proper scrutiny of them?

3.) You said several times you know how to win wars. Okay, how do you win wars? When did you arrive at this moment of self-awarenes?. And when you did, why did you not share this incredible knowledge with the President, the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff?

3. You have said several times that you know how to find Osama bin Laden. When did you arrive at this moment of self-awareness? (Same follow up as above)

4.) How can you use the slogan 'COUNTRY FIRST",when every action you take, every statement you make, every decision your campaign had made is clearly "McCAIN FIRST, COUNTRY IF IT SUITS ME"?

5.) Why did you lie to my old friend David Letterman, telling him you had to cancel your appearance on his show to fly back to Washington to solve the Bailout Crisis, when in fact you were being interviewed in New York by Katey Couric?

6.) Why did you announce a "suspension" of your campaign - but kept all your offices open, your surrogates on the air, and your face in front of as many cameras as you coud find.
justobserve
Not left nor right or center. Just a free thinker!
01:13 PM on 09/30/2008
He won't answer these questions or any others. Look at how he reacted to bad reviews of Palin's previous interview with Couric! He chaperoned her to the new one! Is she running for his VP or his "drill, baby, drill"?
DON'T GAMBLE YOUR COUNTRY WITH McCAIN-PALIN'S RECKLESS JUDGMENT, LIES, BIGOTRY, SECRECY.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
DCinFrance
As a matter of fact, it's all dark.
01:52 PM on 09/30/2008
They would have to be asked in the first place.
02:13 PM on 09/30/2008
That is 6 "gotcha-questions" by a voter....mmmmmmmmm Not allowed according to McCain...Voters should not be asking questions....we are supposedly stupid people in his mind......NOT


Just say NO to McCain on Nov 4th
02:01 PM on 09/30/2008
I'd like to know which war he helped win.
02:57 PM on 09/30/2008
Viet Nam War? Korean Police Action? WWII? WWI? Spanish American War (as a Rough Rider w/Teddy Roosevelt-his hero)? Civil War? Mexican War? War of 1812? Revolutionary War? French Indian War? Somebody, please give me some help here. I just can't find a war that he helped win. He also says he knows where bin Laden is and he(?) will go get him. He also says he knows how to fix the problems on Wall Street. Talk is cheap. Wake up America!!!!
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
2sunny
Sing....when shadows fall...
11:16 AM on 09/30/2008
Seriously, no leadership in McSame.
McCain's/Palin "'mish-mash" of words, are only words, mashed! No leadership there.
When he blurted out his suspension of his campaign and did not follow through......what a gaff.
All my senses of reason repel his sinister sef raving.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
lostinNJ1
08:54 AM on 09/30/2008
He couldn't even get anyone from his home state to support it: all 8 voted no (4 Rep & 4 D'em).
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
dawn2dusk
ptsmkgblkhndideochrstnsocllibrlfsclmodrtmslm10%R
08:52 AM on 09/30/2008
They couldn't even get the Az and TX repugs to come along
08:18 AM on 09/30/2008
I'm afraid that the republicans could use this to their advantage. McCain could say something along the lines of: "If we had put off the debate, suspended campaigns and focused on this bill as I recommended, the bill would have passed and we'd wouldn't be in this crisis. Instead Obama decided to continue campaigning and let this the markets fail."
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morefromLA
A fighting liberal and proud of it
01:26 PM on 09/30/2008
I don't think it will work. McCain played Obama's game of poker. He bluffed, Obama read the bluff and called him, McCain folded and continued to play his cards erratically in the next hand. In order to have had a chance to win he would have had to actually suspend his campaign, stay in Washington and watch Obama alone in Oxford hold a town hall style meeting before millions while he worked on a bailout that Democrats would never have allowed to succeed.