McCain Suspends Campaign to focus on Economy Crisis

[Lord Setheris]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/...rap/index.html

What are your takes on this?

Political maneuver or heartfelt and justified decision?

[Kim]

Everyone who likes John McCain will say that he's doing it cause he cares and is better than Obama cause Obama didn't say something like this. Everyone who doesn't will say it's because McCain is doing it for politics and Obama isn't doing it because he's better than that. Maybe that's a bit simplified, but unless we can really read their minds, there is no way to know. Personally, I think that it's political, and if Obama had done I would think it was political. I think Obama would've done it, too, but McCain beat him to the punch.

EDIT: Even so, I do think it was the right thing to do.

[russianreversal]

Originally Posted by McCain

[I] don't want to infuse Capitol Hill with presidential politics.

That's a keeper!

I think it's foolish to pull out of the campaign now, as if you become president in a few months you can help with the crisis by, y'know, being the president. If history is correct, this isn't going to disappear by the time he gets in office, his priority should be making sure he gets in office.

As for the public view on this... it might look good to the conservatives, it might not. It's definitely going to look bad to the Obama supporters, but then that's a lost cause anyway.

[Mesden]

I would've just been skeptical by the title topic, but after reading that in a call to Obama, McCain wanted to cancel/postpone a debate that was to occur very soon, I firmly believe it's an obvious political ploy.

[Ryanderman]

Originally Posted by Noncontradictory

Everyone who likes John McCain will say that he's doing it cause he cares and is better than Obama cause Obama didn't say something like this. Everyone who doesn't will say it's because McCain is doing it for politics and Obama isn't doing it because he's better than that. Maybe that's a bit simplified, but unless we can really read their minds, there is no way to know. Personally, I think that it's political, and if Obama had done I would think it was political. I think Obama would've done it, too, but McCain beat him to the punch.

EDIT: Even so, I do think it was the right thing to do.

You said exactly what I think.

As for Obama's response, (paraphrased) "Now is the time we most need a debate." My only thought is fine, have one. In the Capitol building, while doing something constructive. If Obama and McCain can help at all by being in Washington instead of out campaigning, they should do so. I'm not really sure what they can do to help anyway that isn't already being done by those there, but they'd know better than I.

[Magus]

Suspending his campaigning, right? He isn't magically giving up his attempt at office with only a few weeks to go until the election? Darn.

It seems like a political ploy, since he's probably still going to make statements about the economic crisis and how he's the best bet for fixing it even while they negotiate the bailout. But as someone else said, if Obama had done it it would've been political as well.

Originally Posted by Ryanderman

I'm not really sure what they can do to help anyway that isn't already being done by those there, but they'd know better than I.

Most politicians can usually come up with a reason to state why their job exists or why they are useful. I've never been satisfied with most of the answers, but they do have them.

[Lord Setheris]

McCain will use this as a point to attack Obama on.
Mark my words.

[Kim]

Duh. And Obama will use this against McCain against him somehow. If the roles were switched they would be using the same things against each other.

[Krylo]

Originally Posted by Ryanderman

As for Obama's response, (paraphrased) "Now is the time we most need a debate." My only thought is fine, have one. In the Capitol building, while doing something constructive. If Obama and McCain can help at all by being in Washington instead of out campaigning, they should do so. I'm not really sure what they can do to help anyway that isn't already being done by those there, but they'd know better than I.

Except that this isn't going to resolve before the election.

Therefore we NEED a debate between candidates in front of the people, which voters might actually watch in large numbers--as opposed to one which will just be seen on C-Span.

Why?

So that the voters can see who actually has the answers to the problems at hand, and can vote for the candidate who is most likely to be able to fix things as president.

Obama is right--we need a debate.

It's not the right thing to do. It's short sighted at best, and just a selfish move to avoid a debate he didn't think he'd win at worst.

[Dregnarg]

While it is a major crisis and one that needs each's attention. It is a bit silly for either candidate to suspend his campaign to do work in Washington on this, given that both candidates did not do the same on previous issues this year.

I really have trouble seeing this as anything other than political posturing, in respect to the big picture. But, it is an election year, everything is traditionally purely about trying to get elected.

What does complicate matters though is the rumbling and rumors that Republicans in Congress are afraid to support this at all, unless McCain is vocally behind the final draft. That's concerning on a lot of levels, and does add a bit of credence to McCain's claims.