On McCain’s Campaign Suspension
Earlier today, I mentioned both thoughts I had for potential posts as well as my mixed feelings of John McCain’s decision to suspend his campaign to focus on the Wall Street bailout.
As I said at the time, I have mixed feelings on McCain’s decision. On the one hand, I do think it shows resolve to confront head-on the most important issue facing the country at the present time. On the other hand, it does look like a political stunt.
Jonah Goldberg thinks politically is a “shrewd even wise” move: “It demonstrates McCain’s willingness to make politics and partisanship a secondary concern.” Â Rich Miniter agrees:
It makes McCain look engaged in solving the number one issue on the minds of Americans, right now. It gives him a bigger bully pulpit to fight the Christmas tree of legislation that is winding its way through Congress now (even student and car loans have been added to the bailout).
Read the whole thing. Â Rich also see some downsides to the move.
This follows, what I would argue, has been the worst week for the McCain campaign. Instead of responding to the Wall Street mess by pointing to the legislation he had proposed and/or promoted over the years to reform Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (which are at the core of this problem), he lashed out at Obama before finally finding his footing on Friday.
While McCain was the first (of the two candidates) to propose a solution, he allowed Obama to appear more level-headed. Not just that, Obama has no record of reform here, no attempts (like McCain) to work across the aisle to craft legislation to address then-looming crisis. Obama could warn and call for. McCain acted.Â
Bill Kristol summed up the situation pretty well:
. . . it was a poor week for the McCain campaign (though the candidate did begin to right the ship with a sensible speech Friday morning in Green Bay). To be fair, the right response to the financial crisis wasn’t so clear, either substantively or politically. Obama played it smart by basically doing and saying nothing–and simply seized on McCain’s mistakes. McCain’s flailing allowed the Obama campaign, which had been off balance for almost a month, to regain its footing.
That said, McCain may well have seized the initiative again with his move, but it’s way too soon to tell.
It is amazing how Obama, by playing it “cool” has surged ahead in most (but not all) polls even by doing nothing. Perhaps, McCain’s suspesnsion will expose the emptiness of his opponent’s rhetoric. Or perhaps people will see this as the political equivalent of a “Hail Mary” pass.
If the media were covering this campaiagn fairly, we would know that John McCain did something to try to prevent this crisis from happening while Obama sat silent in the Senate. Â And that the Republican nominee righted himself last Friday with his excellent speech in Green Bay.
Maybe this move was necessary to highlight his record.
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Instead of responding to the Wall Street mess by pointing to the legislation he had proposed and/or promoted over the years to reform Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (which are at the core of this problem), he lashed out at Obama before finally finding his footing on Friday.
But what would that have done? Even though he said that’s what he did, it did not happen. He can’t be like Obama. He has to stick to the present. I like what McCain is doing. To me, he looks like he’s doing his job while Obama just told Reid to call him if they needed him. WTF????
If I was an Obama supporter and I heard that, I would chuck my Obama/Biden signs. And people call Bush arrogant
Comment by Rachel — September 24, 2008 @ 7:35 pm - September 24, 2008
Looks like Obama may know how to run a better campaign, but McCain is the one who is coming across as the serious person who puts country first. Actually I’m not sure Obama runs a better campaign - after all the media is so far in the bag for him.
That is a horse that has been flogged to death and beyond. It has become obvious that the media is only interested in electing a fellow liberal. My hope is that most voting Americans care more about the country than about liberal principles.
I have no idea how this will play out politically, but with this decision McCain is showing he can lead this country - if he is actually given the chance to do so is yet to be seen.
Comment by Leah — September 24, 2008 @ 7:40 pm - September 24, 2008
Have been listening to Hugh Hewitt, he has played clips from both McCain and Obama. Rachel is absolutely right, Obama is waiting for marching orders. He can’t make a decision on his own.
He claims not to want to inject the presidential election into this financial crisis. But here’s the deal - at the moment he is a sitting senator - that is where he should be, actually voting yes or no on this proposal.
Is he so incompetent that he can only concentrate on running for president - his other job is irrelevant? Doesn’t inspire much confidence in his ability to actually lead in a time of crisis.
Comment by Leah — September 24, 2008 @ 7:45 pm - September 24, 2008
I’m not happy with this bailout. It feels very rushed, and we have all seen what happens when our legislators rush a bill through. Wanna bet there are going to be earmarks up the wazzoo buried in this thing. And just why does it HAVE to be done by Friday?
To me, he looks like he’s doing his job while Obama just told Reid to call him if they needed him. WTF????
This is a wise move by Obama. On canceling the debate, his comeback that a President must be able to handle multiple situations is going to get positive traction. Plus, big O is not recognized as a financial guru by any means, so I’m glad he’s not going. I have criticized McCain on the same grounds on my blog. I don’t really see what difference it will make having McCain there or not.
Comment by sonicfrog.net — September 24, 2008 @ 7:52 pm - September 24, 2008
Yes, because dragging the media circus of a national election with 2 senators-running-for-president back to DC right before a debate that you want to cancel, in order to vote for for the first time since April, is clearly showing leadership. That’s exactly what this issue needs: more hysteria. And since some snapshot polls today show about 1 in 10 agree with McCaiin on this, it does look like the country thinks that a president should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.
At least McCain’s camp finally admitted why they really want to cancel this first debate: Sen. Graham just said that McCain wants to move this first debate to the VP debate slot, and move that VP debate slot to some unknown time. Given how wonderful the Couric interview went, based on the initial leaks, no surprise. Palin off the leash seems to be the big fear here.
Comment by torrentprime — September 24, 2008 @ 7:55 pm - September 24, 2008
This is a wise move by Obama. On canceling the debate, his comeback that a President must be able to handle multiple situations is going to get positive traction.
Of course, Obama himself has been claiming that this is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression — but now his campaign and the candidate debates are more important.
That’s a bit like saying that you can’t take your unconscious child to the emergency room because the other one needs to go to soccer practice — and then patting yourself on the back for multitasking.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 24, 2008 @ 8:16 pm - September 24, 2008
Yes, because dragging the media circus of a national election with 2 senators-running-for-president back to DC right before a debate that you want to cancel, in order to vote for for the first time since April, is clearly showing leadership.
Funny, torrentprime; there is video from Harry Reid demanding John McCain’s involvement from yesterday.
And again, the screaming Obama and the Democrat Party have claimed that this is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression — but apparently, that isn’t enough to stop them from campaigning and actually try doing something to stop it.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 24, 2008 @ 8:21 pm - September 24, 2008
And finally, torrentprime, as for wanting to leave out Presidential politics and do nothing in coordination with the campaigns relative to this, evidently that’s another change on the part of the Democrats.
(Barney) Frank said he spoke with Obama on Sunday and has “talked to people on his economic team. They’ve been talking to the speaker” too, he said. Congressional aides said Democrats want to “stay on the same page” with the Obama campaign.
You and your fellow Dem hypocrites really will do or say anything to protect the Obamamessiah, won’t you?
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 24, 2008 @ 8:24 pm - September 24, 2008
It feels like a publicity stunt to me.
I’m still hoping that McCain will go debate and kick Obama’s rear. No teleprompters for debates - are there?
McCain is boxing with one hand tied behind his back. Tough when 87% of the MSM is in the tank for Obama.
Comment by Peg — September 24, 2008 @ 8:42 pm - September 24, 2008
Yes, because who the hell wants a candidate that will actually do something when he can stand at the pulpit and pontificate at length about what he would do?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 24, 2008 @ 9:05 pm - September 24, 2008
He’s putting political pandering over political entertainment! That debate would have been the only interesting thing to happen in weeks. Plus I wrote a column previewing the debate for the IDS yesterday that was supposed to be published Friday. Instead, this Sarah Palin-without-lipstick is playing political games with us, pretending this is his only care.
That said, he does a much better job pretending than Barack “Congress Can Call Me If They Need Me” Huessein Obama.
Comment by Mitchell Blatt — September 24, 2008 @ 9:08 pm - September 24, 2008
Sherrod Brown said his office has been swamped with people saying not only no, but Hell no! to the bail out.
I tried to call @ 3:30, gave up after 15 minutes on hold.
Comment by The Livewire — September 24, 2008 @ 9:17 pm - September 24, 2008
Everyone of you with your readier-than-thou pronouncements on McCain’s leadership are basically saying that he can’t have a foreign policy debate at the same time he discusses a bill. That’s what this boils down to: One discussion + one debate = brain splodes! So if the country ever faces more than one crisis at a time, McCain will make them take turns?
If that’s the message you want to go out with on your candidate, feel free. The country is listening. (And based on the polls, already making up its mind for Obama.)
Comment by torrentprime — September 24, 2008 @ 9:22 pm - September 24, 2008
Sorry, skeptics, but at the moment McCain is looking pretty Presidential:
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/9b3544b3-5b40-419a-96e9-9f3a0c34813c
And Obama? Not so much.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 24, 2008 @ 9:38 pm - September 24, 2008
Given the amount of money involved and the real possibility that the economy could tank, it seems to me that the people of Arizona and Illinois would want their guys on the scene - political debate or not.
Once this awful plan is worked out, I want McCain and Obama on the record (I suppose they could vote “present”).
McCain and Obama are still drawing a paycheck so it seems reasonable that they show up for work now and then. (Does anyone know the last time Barry showed up?) There’s nothing that could happen at this debate that can’t wait.
Comment by SoCalRobert — September 24, 2008 @ 9:43 pm - September 24, 2008
That’s a bit like saying that you can’t take your unconscious child to the emergency room because the other one needs to go to soccer practice — and then patting yourself on the back for multitasking.
That’s really not a good analogy. But OK - If the economy is a sick child, the child is already in the hospital. The problem is that we don’t know which type; is it a U.S. hospital, an HMO, or one of those great facilities in Cuba?
Comment by sonicfrog.net — September 24, 2008 @ 9:45 pm - September 24, 2008
First of all, I say do a Bretton Woods Conference of the G 7 and figure out a way for international liquidity. There is no way we need the federal government involved in what would be 700 billion dollars of what will end up being fraud and corruption and a holy mess. As for housing/mortgages, clean the snakes out of Fannie/Freddie and do work outs on mortgages for home owners. If need be do 40 and 50 year mortgages, FHA loans and get on with it.
Let an international agreement be arrived at for liquidity and find a way for borrowing to be unclogged regarding the Fed funding discount window.
McCain looks like a leader in action (I agree that his Friday speech should have been his Monday starting speech and quite frankly Governor Palin’s Saturday speech in Florida hit the right cords on all issues and McCain should have used it on Monday)
In any event, Nobama is playing the present card by screaming the sky is falling but I am going to go out and play rather then deal with real issues (lets face it Nobama is bored easily and doesn’t like to get his hands dirty and much prefers in basking in the glory of praised heaped on him by the MSM as the Messiah and the thrill of crowds. He looks like Nero with Rome burning and the MSM are his eunuchs feeding his ego.
I truly hope that McCain stands up and says this 700 billion dollar mess just ain’t flying. Then comes up with a call for the Finance Ministers (like they did at the end of WWII) come together and figure out sensible rules to allow liquidity in the market and let the market forces work. Create liquidity and the market will find a way to deal with buying up the loans…create work outs on loans with refinances and help stem the mess of mortgages gone wild.
Every time I read about this plan, I feel like American capitalism has been thrown over board for Marxism and socialism and I hope that McCain and the adults in Congress in the GOP (you can’t count on most of the Dems for that) and the capitalists stand up and put Country First!!
Comment by Rocket — September 24, 2008 @ 10:16 pm - September 24, 2008
We’ve been inundated with messages that free trade = greed and corruption and government intervention = selflessness and ethics for decades, with lawbreakers like Enron held up as the rule, not the exception.
Comment by Attmay — September 24, 2008 @ 10:29 pm - September 24, 2008
#1: Speaking of those Obama/Biden signs, ever notice how difficult it is to see Biden’s name from a distance because of the blue on blue, while Obama’s name is whiter than white and easy to see?
Comment by Attmay — September 24, 2008 @ 10:30 pm - September 24, 2008
after the FBI gets done with it. bush goes to jail.
Comment by michael — September 24, 2008 @ 10:32 pm - September 24, 2008
As an Illinois resident, Obama has been a giant waste of a Senator. I hope to God they throw his ass out in a few years when his “term” is up.
Comment by Vince P — September 24, 2008 @ 10:40 pm - September 24, 2008
Attmay: yeah someone made a funny youtube video of that.
All other campaigns for the past 30 years have used either the same color for both names, or reversed the back/foreground colors
Comment by Vince P — September 24, 2008 @ 10:41 pm - September 24, 2008
Even if your asininity were true, it would still beat the hell out of a candidate skipping out on the job he was already elected to do. I’d have respect if both candidates went to Washington, however, only one did. So guess what?
Because God knows, the liberals will never be held accountable for their crimes. Chris “Countrywide” Dodd will probably be the nominee in 2012. Buying mansions with slumlords will be par for the course.
And, once again, the liberals f*ck us over and Bush takes the heat while they walk. Sounds like the last 8 years.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 25, 2008 @ 12:20 am - September 25, 2008
Everyone of you with your readier-than-thou pronouncements on McCain’s leadership are basically saying that he can’t have a foreign policy debate at the same time he discusses a bill………So if the country ever faces more than one crisis at a time, McCain will make them take turns?
Actually, what McCain is saying is that he’s not going to waste time with the small stuff when there are bigger things that require his attention.
Contrast that with Obama, who is screaming that this is the greatest financial crisis ever to hit this country since the Great Depression…..but not so important that he would actually have to go back and do his job instead of mugging for the cameras.
So which is more important, torrentprime; the financial crisis, or appearing on TV? McCain says the former, Obama says the latter. Good to know that, when Iran drops an atomic bomb on Tel Aviv, Obama won’t let it interfere with his appearance on Letterman.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 25, 2008 @ 12:33 am - September 25, 2008
But OK - If the economy is a sick child, the child is already in the hospital. The problem is that we don’t know which type; is it a U.S. hospital, an HMO, or one of those great facilities in Cuba?
Well, according to Obama, it doesn’t matter; he figures if the quality of the hospital his child is in is important, he’ll find out about it eventually, and anyway, he has a TV appearance to make.
McCain is going back and checking out the hospital instead.
What this makes really obvious is that Obama doesn’t care about the US economy; he cares about his own television appearances and self-aggrandizement. Not that this is a surprise to anyone who’s seen how Obama has never let a job, not the least of which being a Senator, interfere with his own self-promotion, but it’s still nice to see it being made so publicly obvious.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 25, 2008 @ 12:36 am - September 25, 2008
[...] On McCain’s Campaign Suspension [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » Campaign Whiplash — September 25, 2008 @ 1:32 am - September 25, 2008
I’m a McCain supporter, but his move is pure politics. We’re forty days out from an election and everything McCain and Obama have done for the past year (at least) has been political. They are both politicians.
Comment by Hunter — September 25, 2008 @ 3:03 pm - September 25, 2008
[...] my initial ambivalence about John McCain’s decision to suspend his campaign and come to Washington to help hammer [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » On McCain’s Decision to Debate — September 26, 2008 @ 6:30 pm - September 26, 2008
How long will it be before more money is required, Is this just a short term fix ?
Comment by Chris Hutcherson — October 2, 2008 @ 1:27 pm - October 2, 2008
Change you can trust, a slogan that could turn around McCain’s campaign?
Change you can trust contrasts beautifully with change you can believe in.
Everyone wants change, only with a team that we can trust to implement it.
If you’re in a tough spot, you want someone to come to help you that you can trust, not someone you believe may want to help you.
John McCain, polls show, is rated as highly qualified and highly trusted. This slogan, change you can trust, reinforces this message.
It can even be added on to John McCain’s current slogan. Country first, change you can trust. Or perhaps Change you can trust that puts Country first. Or how about Change you can trust that puts America first
It implies without directly saying it that the other side is perhaps a little less trustworthy.
It also reinforces the message that in a time we were facing battle with Al Qaeda worldwide and two conventional wars, John McCain is a commander in chief you can trust to lead us to victory.
There are 30 days left before Election Day. Sarah Palin’s debate performance was good, but it’s really up to John McCain to win.
CHANGE You Can TRUST
CHANGE You Can TRUST to put COUNTRY FIRST
CHANGE You Can TRUST to put AMERICA FIRST
CHANGE - TRUST
COUNTRY FIRST
John, are you listening???
http://strategicthought-charles77.blogspot.com/2008/10/change-you-can-trust-slogan-that-could.html
Comment by Charles — October 4, 2008 @ 4:38 pm - October 4, 2008
[...] as I read a few blogs, I saw the rationale behind it so that by the time I weighed in, I had “mixed feelings.” At the end of the day, I thought McCain’s bold action showed his leadership [...]
Pingback by GayPatriot » Obama’s “Coolness” Key to His Success? — November 3, 2008 @ 8:54 pm - November 3, 2008