McCain's New Ploy

I hate to overuse football analogies, but John McCain, down in the polls, threw a Hail Mary when he picked Sarah Palin. Now, the Palin bounce has ebbed, and McCain, desperate anew, is throwing another long ball.

McCain's call to postpone Friday night's debate is an attempt to change the subject, to turn us away from his belief that the fundamentals of the economy are strong, away from his false statements about his campaign manager's relationship with Fannie Mac and what amounted to a no-show job, away from his campaign's lack of confidence in Sarah Palin, away from his statements that he prefers more deregulation.

Instead of focusing on a mistake-filled campaign, which was temporarily buoyed by the Palin pick, McCain wants us to think that by postponing the debate, he's above politics, when even the dumbest moron knows that this is a purely cynical political ploy.

McCain's call for he and Obama to get involved in the bailout negotiations only politicizes the bailout negotiations.

Seriously, McCain has already said he doesn't know much about the economy; he's not favored to be President; he's desperate; and given that, who on Wall Street or at the Treasury Department is waiting to hear McCain's opinion on the bailout, knowing he's desperate for attention?

I can see it now -- all the Wall Street head honchos, the Treasury folks, the political figures, the markets -- all waiting to hear from the guy who just last week was shouting, "All is well!" and today, his running mate says that unless we enact a bailout fast, we're headed toward a Depression.

The truth is that McCain didn't look at the bailout numbers of $700 billion before asking to postpone the debate. He took at a look at the Washington Post-ABC News poll that showed him down by nine points. Those numbers may cause a depression - in the McCain campaign.

And it is those numbers that caused McCain to act, once again, in desperation.

If I'm Obama, I tell McCain, you can walk and chew gum. You can have a position on the bailout, and show up at the debate that has been in the planning stages for a long time. Obama should call McCain on a cynical ploy and say, "I'll be at the debate, whether you show up or not." And the main reason Obama should show up at the debate is because McCain's playing politics with this economic crisis.

If this gambit by McCain doesn't get him the boost in the polls he desperately needs, what's next? Will he attempt to postpone the election?

Comments

[Michale32086]

Ya'all are just bound and determined to politicize this emergency, aren't ya?? :^/

Michale.....

[generationyes]

If by 'Ya'll', you mean McCain - then yes.

[Michale32086]

Is it McCain that is making political attacks??

Nope, it's the Democrats...

Explain to me how McCain suspending his campaign amounts to injecting partisan politics into the crisis??

It is the Democrat's response to McCain is what is politicizing things... That's a fact..

Michale.....

[tompoe]

It appears that delaying Friday's debate miraculously forces the delay of the VP debate. Gee. With a little luck, the guy might get all the way to the election without having the rug pulled out from under him.

[johnsopinion]

Youse guys are good at reporting the 'surface' of a campaign.
Really, you are and I commend you on that ability. Actually, I
envy that ability.

However, if you are at all familiar with the new television show,
The Fringe, you will eventually come to realize that with McCain,
there is a "pattern" to his mad...... strike that..... to his methods,
and they don't start with each morning he wakes up. They
started a long, long time ago, possibly in a country far, far away.

[Centaur]

Clearly another desperate act. First, he picks a VP candidate who clearly is not qualified(and based on his decision-making, neither is he). Now, he wants to "postpone" the upcoming debate(s)(for him(he's not ready) and her(she's certainly not ready). America, can you figure out what's going on here?

[cherlybear]

Expect more hail mary's from McSame over the next 40+ days. Everytime the news is good for Obama that is. Or when big news about Rick Davis' current ties to Freddie Mac are about to hit the airwaves.

The debate is about foreign policy on Friday night - Obama should propose that the topic be changed to the economy in light of the "crisis" and current events. Take that Mac!

[caterpol]

Let's face it. If McCain could have orchestrated a hurricane, he would have.

He doesn't want to debate the economy right now, and we can all understand why.

He'll lose.

He belongs to the wrong party. Less than two weeks ago he had to defend his own statement that the economy was fundamentally strong. More recently he was called on a lie that his campaign manager hadn't taken a dime from Freddie/Ffannie. He's in a down-cycle.

[Michale32086]

}}}}}}}}}}
Let's face it. If McCain could have orchestrated a hurricane, he would have.
}}}}}}}}}}

And Democrats simply state that naturally occurring hurricanes are "proof that god is on the side of the Democrats."

So, what's your point???

}}}}}}}}}}}}
He doesn't want to debate the economy right now, and we can all understand why.
}}}}}}}}}}}}

Newsflash for ya, cupcake. The debate that McCain wants to postpone has nothing to do with the economy. It's a National Security/Foreign Policy debate, which is McCain's strong suit..

That being the case, it would be in McCain's best political interests to NOT postpone the debate. The fact that McCain appears to be putting country before campaign does appeal to the independents who will decide this election.

}}}}}}}}}}}
More recently he was called on a lie that his campaign manager hadn't taken a dime from Freddie/Ffannie.
}}}}}}}}}}}

You do realize that the Top 5 recipients of campaign donations from Mac and Mae are all Democrats, right?? Including Dodd, Kerry, Clinton and Obama..

Do you REALLY want to play that card???

Michale.....

[DavidNOE]

And you can't see (I really believe that!) the difference between accepting campaign contributions from employees of a corporation, and being on its payroll? Hah!

[FemiMommy]

Don't even joke about the election being postponed. Seriously, I have a terrible feeling that they have something like that planned. The Bush Administration has turned this country into a dictatorship!

[ErnestineBass]

IMO, that's exactly what they're planning to do.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/relaeses/2007/05/20070509-12.html

Check out item b) in Section 2), as to what constitutes a "Catastrophic Emergency".

[MadOzbo]

THAT FILE has "BEEN REMOVED..."

So much for "freedom of information from the White House, eh?

[mcole]

please!

i said it before you!!

mccain will soooo say the election should be suspended I CAN SEE IT COMING!!

i'm seriously disgusted.

[FreeExpression]

MOVE THE LOCATION OF THE DEBATE TO WASHINGTON D.C. and DON"T postpone the debate.

Can't someone suggest moving the Presidential Debate to Washington D.C. so that it does not have to be postponed? Obama and McCain could be close by if they are needed for a vote.

Also, they can do Senate business and step away for a couple of hours and have the debate; then be back in the Senate.

We really need to see these two candidates debate on the day they were scheduled to debate and to see how they handle stress in this critical time.

lol - I love your comment "If this gambit by McCain doesn't get him the boost in the polls he desperately needs, what's next? Will he attempt to postpone the election?"

[ConcernedAmerican]

Kinda unfair to Ole Miss given the $5.5 million they've spent to host the debates don't ya think?

[cherlybear]

Debates can also be done in different locations via live feeds - we see it on CNN everyday. Obama can be in Mississippi and McCain can be in one of his 13 homes!

[caterpol]

"If I'm Obama, I tell McCain, you can walk and chew gum..."

Which is exactly what Obama said in his press conference.

But I have to concede what a talking head said on MSNBC (paraphrased of course),: this hail mary from the McCain camp will be seen through the prism of partisan politics. The Dems will see it as running scared, the Repubs will hold it up as maverick and country first.

It's the independen­ts/wishy-w­ashy voters that matter. How will THEY see this?

[tel8034]

Spot on ..........­..........­....... If McCain himself has said that HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE ECONOMY, then what does he have to bring to the table? ................... Washington needs a person capable of doing more that being able to count to 10 using his fingers.

McCain will be of no help whatsoever ..........­..........­........ HE NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY AND LET THE BIG BOYS AND GIRLS SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

[birdandcat]

Nonsense. Neither McCain or Obama are in key positions to drive specific provisions in this legislation. As putative leaders of their parties they can have some substantive input but frankly that can be done on the road as easily as in DC. Either candidates' claiming that they have to be in DC for this crucial issue smacks of exaggerated self importance.

[stonelaw]

This must be a very confusing time for McCain. He has to remember what he talked about with Obama in a telephone conversation, prepare for a debate, dress and tie his shoes (presumbably by himself), and put his make up on.

So cut the guy a break!

[MadOzbo]

He does NOT have to put his makeup on.
He has a $5,000 dollar makeup artist to do it for him...

[Michale32086]

This is why it's so hard to take ANYTHING that Democrats (or Republicans) say seriously..

If it had been OBAMA that had stated that he was suspending HIS campaign to deal with this crisis, Democrats would have been fawning all over him, saying what a great guy he is and pointing out this proves that Obama cares more about the country than about the campaign.

But, because it's McCain, the Democrats are all cynical about it..

Michale.....

[fpie]

Yeah, you're just a midle of the road kinda guy. Nobody can pull the wool outa your eyes.

[Michale32086]

With a few exceptions (4 to be exact) I am probably more liberal than you are.

Being a registered NPA (No Political Affiliation) and being philosophically disinclined to swallow ANY party dogma (IE BS) puts me in a unique position from the vast majority of those here on HuffPo...

Michale.....

[JinChicago]

yeah, but if OBAMA was 9 pts down in the polls, AND THAT was the reasoning, i would still call bullshit

but, because its not obama making the dumb statements, the republicans are all cynical about it.