Gambit of Desperation

On Wednesday, John McCain indicated that he was going to suspend his campaign -- or at least his campaigning -- for president while her returned to Washington to help secure a deal on a bailout for Wall Street. (That he instead remained in New York for two campaign stops, one with a rich backer and the other with Katie Couric, will only help prove my later point.) He also called for the suspension of the first presidential debate scheduled for this coming Friday the 26th. McCain says that this is an appropriate response to the crisis. It's not, as Barack Obama appropriately made clear.

"This is exactly the time the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess," Obama said. "What I've told the leadership in Congress is that if I can be helpful, then I am prepared to be anywhere, anytime. What I think is important is that we don't suddenly infuse Capitol Hill with presidential politics."

President Bush also called for McCain and Obama to come to the White House on Thurday to be part of a meeting on the issue. This is the wrong move. Having the presidential candidates -- who ultimately are only two senators with no committee authority on the matter -- will only politicize the issues involved, not solve them. McCain is playing politics, not putting "country first." At least I certainly hope that it's only politics because as Barack Obama also said, we've got to have a president who can handle more than one thing at a time. If John McCain really isn't up to that, he isn't fit to be president. Of course, if he's playing political chicken with $700 billion of taxpayer money, then he's not fit to be president anyway.

As for the request to delay the first presidential debate, I can see two political avenues here. The first is simply that McCain himself isn't ready to debate Obama and fears the outcome. While plausible -- and it indeed may play a role in the campaign's decision -- I think number two is more likely. Number two involves McCain's number two, as it were, Sarah Palin. I think the real reason for this move is to get the only vice presidential debate canceled.

There are four scheduled debates -- three between Obama and McCain and one between Biden and Palin -- in only 19 days. If the first doesn't happen -- and both Obama and the Commission on Presidential Debates says that it will -- then to fit it in later will be very tight. I think McCain will push to have it be placed in the slot of the original VP debate, saying that it is the more important of the two and letting the still-not-ready-for-prime-time Palin off the hook completely. It probably won't work because the game of chicken with Obama didn't work. Obama, to use a Palin favorite, didn't blink and said the campaign and the debates go on. With the Commission on Presidential Debates seeming to hold firm on the first debate, I think that it will hold firm on the VP debate as well. (I certainly hope so!) And since McCain really doesn't want Obama to debate an empty chair -- essentially a two-hour commercial for Obama's competence -- he'll be at the first debate regardless of what is going on in DC.

On that front, by all accounts, the relevant Congressional committees have a deal well in hand. They have modified the original proposal extensively, are finally growing a pair and dictating terms to the White House, and could give two turds what Obama and McCain have to say about it.

McCain's stunt is just that, a political stunt. I hope that America sees it for what it is and eats his lunch.

25 September 2008

Addition: Yep, it's started. From CNN:

McCain supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham tells CNN the McCain campaign is proposing to the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama camp that if there's no bailout deal by Friday, the first presidential debate should take the place of the VP debate, currently scheduled for next Thursday, October 2 in St. Louis.

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