Here's the way I understand it all came down. At 8:30 this morning, Obama placed a call to McCain suggesting that they issue a joint statement about the principles they felt should be considered in the bailout plan. McCain did not return his call until 2:30pm.
Meanwhile, he had time to meet with Lady Lynn de Rothschild, a former Hillary Clinton supporter who is endorsing McCain. I think it's fair to assume that this was not to get her economic advice but to reward and solidify her political support. Nevertheless, the explanation for why he hadn't returned Obama's call was that he was in meetings with economic advisers. So much for rising above politics.
After finally returning Obama's call at 2:30, McCain then rushed into release in a 2:56 email his statement that he was suspending his campaign -- obviously trying to preempt any announcement from Obama about a joint statement. Not to be completely outdone, Obama then at 3:09 released an email saying that he had called McCain at 8:30, that he had returned it at 2:30, and that they were working on a joint statement.
McCain says it's time to suspend politics, but he does it in the most political way, by trying to gain advantage in looking like the strong leader who puts country first, in contrast to his opponent who puts politics first.
But Obama chose not to do that. He could just as well have released an announcement at 2:25 saying he had called McCain 6 hours earlier to make a joint statement, and that he was still waiting for McCain to return his call.
So who is playing politics with this urgent crisis?
McCain's plan to go to Washington to convene a meeting and force a negotiated settlement is patently absurd. What could he possibly add to an intelligent plan that his advisers couldn't do 100 times better, leaving him to do the debate? Having two presidential candidates descend into the midst of this crisis could only turn it into a media circus.
To my mind, it only adds to the image of McCain as desperate, erratic, impulsive, incompetent -- and scared. In short, this elaborate gesture of suspending his political campaign, in order to "rise above politics," is itself a political stunt. Obama is right not to play along.
Ralph
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3 comments:
this may be off topic, but RFK jr says the difference between Cheney and Palin is lipstick. lol
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-kennedy24-2008sep24,0,1238333.story
HA -- that is rich !!!!!
And welcome. I need a laugh right now.
Obama has said that in the 2:30 phone call with McCain, they agreed on putting out a joint statement. Then McCain said he wanted them to think about suspending the campaign and postponing the debate.
Obama said he replied, "Let's get out the joint statement first and then let our campaigns discuss it."
About 20 minutes later, McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign.
How is that not trying to jump ahead and gain political points.
Like so much else in his desperate last days, this will backfire because it is so blatant a political stunt -- while trying to paint it as non-political.
I think the lipstick/pig metaphor might be even more apt here.
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