BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN (merged)

[Denny Crane]

It's all over the news.

He's going back to D.C. to do his job as senator and work on fixing the nation's finances; that big $700B bill going through congress.

He's urged Obama to do the same.

Extraordinary and unprecedented move.

 

[SodaPopinski]

McCain wants to postpone Friday's debate

Breaking news right now on cnn.com.

Guess his campaign staff knows he is going to get worked over on Friday, and they are trying to stem the free fall in the polls.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...ampaign-calls-for-first-debate-to-be-delayed/

Sorry Johnny - the whole "we need to work on the economy" thing is SO transparent. America deserves to hear what you and Barack have to say about the next four years.

-Pop

 

[Denny Crane]

Re: McCain wants to postpone Friday's debate

If a mod wants to merge the two threads...

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash1.htm

<tt><tt>MCCAIN SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN TO FOCUS ON ECONOMY; WANTS DEBATE DELAY
Wed Sept 24 2008 14:58:02 ET

MCCAIN: America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system. We must pass legislation to address this crisis. If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy. People will no longer be able to buy homes and their life savings will be at stake. Businesses will not have enough money to pay their employees. If we do not act, ever corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen.

Last Friday, I laid out my proposal and I have since discussed my priorities and concerns with the bill the Administration has put forward. Senator Obama has expressed his priorities and concerns.This morning, I met with a group of economic advisers to talk about the proposal on the table and the steps that we should take going forward.I have also spoken with members of Congress to hear their perspective.

It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the Administration' proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.

Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.

I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved.I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.

I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so.

Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now. Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country.

Developing...
</tt></tt>

 

[SodaPopinski]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

Extraordinary and unprecedented move.

So transparent. It's called "I'm falling in the polls and I need to pretend like I can help fix the economy."

Pathetic.

-Pop

 

[maxiep]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

It's a smart tactic. He's been getting killed on his "fundamentals" comment, even though from a non-credit-market perspective he was right. Ironically, I was going to make a post about how both Obama and McCain were going to skip the bailout vote and how much that was going to piss me off.

 

[julius]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

It's both a smart, and obvious move. But I don't think, if Obama doesn't (or at least, to the degree McCain does), it will have an impact.

 

[maxiep]

Re: McCain wants to postpone Friday's debate

Great stuff. It shows leadership and is consistent with his message of "Country First". The bottom line is that he needs to score huge on this foreign policy debate, and all the questions were going to be about the economy, which right now he's not perceived to be as strong on as Obama.

It's a terrific tactic. When you're losing the game, you attempt to change the rules. McCain is trying to change the rules. Good for him. He's put Obama in a tough spot.

 

[Real]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

CNN reports that Obama doesn't see any reason to suspend the campaign.

 

[SodaPopinski]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

So does this mean they are gonna ship Caribou Barbie back to Alaska and truly "suspend the campaign"? I doubt it.

-Pop

 

[Tortimer]

Obama would be better off if Bidden did go back to congress and wasn't on the campaign trail. Obama should send him back and he would be better all around.

 

[maxiep]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

CNN reports that Obama doesn't see any reason to suspend the campaign.

McCain gave Obama a Hobson's Choice. Either he follows McCain or he looks like he feels his campaign is more important than his job.

It's my hope McCain goes all the way and doesn't show up for the debate if an agreement isn't reached. He's doing the senatorial equivalent of the Rose Garden Strategy.

 

[Tortimer]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

CNN reports that Obama doesn't see any reason to suspend the campaign.

Depending on how Obama handles this he could be making a huge mistake. If this doesn't get settled and banks starts failing Obama will look like he didn't do his job and McCain will really play this up.

 

[maxiep]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

Depending on how Obama handles this he could be making a huge mistake. If this doesn't get settled and banks starts failing Obama will look like he didn't do his job and McCain will really play this up.

If Obama stays out campaigning he's going to look petty. I'm not yet sold on McCain, but strategically he's made some shrewd moves.

 

[CelticKing]

Obama is all about fame and money.

This why we need McCain to be the president, a man who cares about his country and will do anything to help it. (even by suspending the campaign)

Of course the Socialist Media (liberals for those that don't know) will try and reverse the whole meaning of this and point fingers at McCain and create new lies.

 

[DaRizzle]

Good thing he is there to save the day
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[Denny Crane]

From what I'm seeing, the Obama campaign is trying to spin it like it's their idea to suspend the campaigns and do the peoples' work.

SLIMEY.

 

[MikeDC]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

Interesting stuff. Of course McCain is making a show of it but criticizing that is pointless; politicians make show out of everything. That doesn't take away from the fact that it's, ya know, actually the right thing to be doing.

 

[Tortimer]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

If Obama stays out campaigning he's going to look petty. I'm not yet sold on McCain, but strategically he's made some shrewd moves.

I agree and I'm not really sold on McCain but I do like his views on Iraq and few others things. I don't agree with hardly anything I have heard from Obama. I do like Palin and have now been planning on voting for him. I was earlier even thinking about not voting for president.

 

[maxiep]

I can see the commercial now:

"John McCain put his country first and chose the people over his campaign to help rescue the economy. Barack Obama refused to even participate in the biggest financial crisis since Joe Biden's first term. I guess when you don't have the option of voting 'present', it's easier to just stay away than to confront the hard choices."

If Obama doesn't go back to DC, he's going to get hammered for it.

 

[Real]

John McCain is just so astute when it comes to these things.

McCain had been calling for a troop surge for years before it was implemented in 2007. He said the line that would be repeated by him throughout the course of his campaign. That he "would rather lose an election than lose a war." He turned out to be right, and won the Republican nomination.

Now, he's basically saying he would rather lose an election than have the country sink further into an economic crisis. There's a reason why his campaign slogan is "Country First," he backs it up with no regard to his political future. Obama's going to look like a jackass if he doesn't suspend his campaign and takes pot shots at McCain like he did from the Senate floor during the debate on Webb's GI Bill earlier this year.

 

[mook]

Re: BREAKING NEWS: McCain SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN

If Obama stays out campaigning he's going to look petty. I'm not yet sold on McCain, but strategically he's made some shrewd moves.

I agree. It was a pretty smart move on McCain's part.

Funny--I think Obama is by far the better presidential candidate, but McCain just seems to be the better tactician. He's used every trick in the book, from selecting Palin to going massively negative (to the point of blatantly lying) and now this, to turn a blowout into a dogfight.

Had Obama made this very announcement an hour earlier than McCain, it might have been a huge coup for him. As it is, the best Obama can do is say, "Me too!" and follow along. Or he can keep campaigning and look like just another politician.

 

[Elton]

Everyone needs their Rowdy Roddy Piper sunglasses these days...

A quote from John Carpenter's "They Live":

"The Golden Rule...those who have the gold make the rules"

 

[Jurassic]

Interesting, can anyone think of a time when this has happened before (Denny)? The funny part about this to me is that he "urges Obama to do the same". LOL. I never realized that candidates were obligated to take advice from the opposition, McCain is a clown in that regard.

 

[Minstrel]

Re: McCain wants to postpone Friday's debate

It's a terrific tactic. When you're losing the game, you attempt to change the rules. McCain is trying to change the rules. Good for him. He's put Obama in a tough spot.

I don't know that I'd agree that it's a "terrific tactic." It's a desperate tactic. it's the equivalent of being down 10 points with four minutes to go and launching three-pointers every time down. In the very rare times it works, because the team gets lucky and goes white hot, fans think it was a great move. But was the decision a sound one? It's pretty arguable that the switch in strategy netted a higher chance of winning. Maybe if the team was down 30 and needed something miraculous...but McCain is not that far behind, so I'm not at all sure that such a desperation tactic is going to give him a higher chance of winning.

It really depends on one's opinion of the American people. If one assumes they're generally dumb enough not to understand that this is a stunt, then it may help. However, I think his last bet on Americans being stupid (selecting Palin, assuming women would be bowled over by anyone with a vagina) is proving not to have paid off for him...after an initial bump from the novelty combined with the RNC, both their favourability numbers have been sinking a lot. I think the nation as a whole has become political savvy (cynical) enough to understand that this isn't really a deep sense of duty and national love, and a tactic to try to grandstand.

So, I think it's enormous risk and possibly one that overall lowers his chances of winning.

 

[huevonkiller]

I don't know if this is such a savvy move, it also looks like he's scared as hell about the debate.

John McCain is just so astute when it comes to these things.

McCain had been calling for a troop surge for years before it was implemented in 2007. He said the line that would be repeated by him throughout the course of his campaign. That he "would rather lose an election than lose a war." He turned out to be right, and won the Republican nomination.

Now, he's basically saying he would rather lose an election than have the country sink further into an economic crisis. There's a reason why his campaign slogan is "Country First," he backs it up with no regard to his political future. Obama's going to look like a jackass if he doesn't suspend his campaign and takes pot shots at McCain like he did from the Senate floor during the debate on Webb's GI Bill earlier this year.

Didn't we have a surge in 2005 IIRC? It's not just about a single surge.

If he cared about the country first and wasn't a total transparent politician, he wouldn't have a certain someone on the ticket.

Lol what a BS move, he's not even an expert on the subject according to his own words.

 

[SodaPopinski]

The response from the Obama campaign is easy. Just play up the fact that America needs a leader it can trust and it's up to him and McCain to provide them ample opportunity to make their decision. Presidential debates are an important part of the American political process, and to deny the American people the opportunity to see what each candidate brings to the table is irresponsible and inconsiderate of the next four years of leadership in this country.

-Pop

 

[maxiep]

Interesting, can anyone think of a time when this has happened before (Denny)? The funny part about this to me is that he "urges Obama to do the same". LOL. I never realized that candidates were obligated to take advice from the opposition, McCain is a clown in that regard.

Obama isn't obligated, but McCain beat him to the high road that just opened and is inviting him to follow him along it. So either Obama is a follower or he takes the low road. He just put Obama in a deep hole on this issue.

 

[Minstrel]

Obama isn't obligated, but McCain beat him to the high road that just opened and is inviting him to follow him along it. So either Obama is a follower or he takes the low road. He just put Obama in a deep hole on this issue.

You're choosing to call one the "high road" and one the "low road" because you have a bit of a bias on this. What both politicians do are going to be political decisions that each will spin as the "high road." The American people will ultimately decide who they think actually did the right thing.

 

[Real]

I don't know if this is such a savvy move, it also looks like he's scared as hell about the debate.



Didn't we have a surge in 2005 IIRC? It's not just about a single surge.

Yeah what I mean to say is while Obama was introducing legislation for a troop withdrawal, which was unquestionably the popular thing to do, McCain was pushing for something completely unpopular, the surge of 2007. But McCain has been calling for more troops to Iraq, Rumsfeld's firing, etc. before that.

If he cared about the country first and wasn't a total transparent politician, he wouldn't have a certain someone on the ticket.

Lol what a BS move, he's not even an expert on the subject according to his own words.

I don't understand, what does having Palin on the ticket have to do with that?

 

[maxiep]

Re: McCain wants to postpone Friday's debate

I don't know that I'd agree that it's a "terrific tactic." It's a desperate tactic. it's the equivalent of being down 10 points with four minutes to go and launching three-pointers every time down. In the very rare times it works, because the team gets lucky and goes white hot, fans think it was a great move. But was the decision a sound one? It's pretty arguable that the switch in strategy netted a higher chance of winning. Maybe if the team was down 30 and needed something miraculous...but McCain is not that far behind, so I'm not at all sure that such a desperation tactic is going to give him a higher chance of winning.

He just took an issue that he was getting killed on and flipped it. Which one of the two looks presidential now? It may have been borne of desperation (I think it was actually opportunity, but toe-may-to, tah-mah-toe), but that doesn't mean it wasn't an effective tactic. A desperate tactic implies that it's high-risk/high-reward. To me it's low-risk/high-reward.

It really depends on one's opinion of the American people. If one assumes they're generally dumb enough not to understand that this is a stunt, then it may help.

What if it's not a stunt? What if McCain actually believes it?

However, I think his last bet on Americans being stupid (selecting Palin, assuming women would be bowled over by anyone with a vagina) is proving not to have paid off for him...after an initial bump from the novelty combined with the RNC, both their favourability numbers have been sinking a lot.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Sarah Palin was selected more for her ability to mobilize the right wing than to woo Hillary voters. It was a move to secure the base while McCain goes after the middle, where he's more comfortable.

I think the nation as a whole has become political savvy (cynical) enough to understand that this isn't really a deep sense of duty and national love, and a tactic to try to grandstand.

I like it when people do the right thing, regardless of the motivations. Doing your job is the right thing in this case.

So, I think it's enormous risk and possibly one that overall lowers his chances of winning.[/QUOTE]