Boy, it sure is convenient for McCain to suspend his campaign just when his support is nosediving in the polls and he and Palin both have debates coming up which, if they show poorly, could effectively end their election chances.
Sure, it makes sense strategically. Obama called McCain in the morning and asked for the two of them to make a joint statement.
Six hours later McCain played, I'll match and raise.
Obama knew it was a sucker bet and called McCain's bluff.
At which point McCain had no choice but to pretend he is a statesman, hoping Obama's continued campaigning will be seen as 'political' while McCain's calculated political action will be seen as selfless. The truth is, they don't need either one in the Senate. Their presence will take attention away from the economic issues, and McCain knows it. Which is why he wants to do it. It buys him time. He gets photo-ops without the messiness of questions about his policy, and, hopefully, everyone will be so focused on Mr. McCain goes to Washington that they will overlook the way Palin is trying to derail the investigation into her obvious malfeasance in Alaska.
As they say in the South, though - this dog won't hunt. Except for the most rabid right wingers, everyone will see this for what it is - a slick ploy.
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Obama has learned the art of sound bites, and it's about time. When asked about McCain's proposal that they postpone the debate, Obama said: "I think presidents ought to be able to handle more than one thing at a time."
And that's already bouncing around the internet.
A friend who saw McCain's press statement said he was alarmed at how bad McCain looks, including a definitely drooping left eye. That is certainly evident in a still photo taken from the conference.
That may just be stress or possibly even something more serious. Neither would bode well for his debate performance Friday. No wonder he wants to delay it.
Those of us "of a certain age" remember the old jokes about Gerald Ford - a very decent man but something of a bumbler. Jokes usually were some variation of "don't let him chew gum," meaning he couldn't do more than one thing at the time without stumbling.
I'm reminded of this with McCain's stunt of wanting to postpone the debate and Obama's retort that he can do more than one thing at the time.
Maybe McCain really can't and does need to suspend everything else so he can think about the economy. At least, he's said that he hasn't even read the 3 page proposal. Since he's not talking to the press anymore, you'd think he would have found time to read 3 pages in the 5 days since it was released.
Blogger "Dibgy" has the perfect counter proposal for Obama to make to McCain's stunt:
She says "I'd love to see Obama say he agrees to go back to Washington and hold the debate on the floor of the Senate -- about the economy."
Obama has been outstrategized again. Bush ow has invited him to Washington - how can he refuse the president? And it allows McCain to pretend he was acting above partisan politics.
richard
Frankly, I would like to see him refuse. And call the bluff for what it really is.
But that would be awfully risky, given the Rovian capacity to manipulate public opinion to think black is white.
After reading that the invitation is for a meeting tomorrow (Thurs), of course Obama should go. That won't have to interfere with the Friday night debate. And it will get him off the hook of McCain's stunt.
Even though I hate to admit it, since it comes from Bush, it makes more sense than McCain's silly plan to have a marathon working party at Camp David involving them and Congressional leaders huddled together all weekend until they get the job done.
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