14 Responses to “Um”

1. BeyondDC Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 3:21 pm

   Easy. He knows he’s losing and he knows he isn’t as eloquent as McCain and is likely to get his butt kicked in a TV debate Kennedy/Nixon style, so he’s throwing a curve hoping the electorate will be fooled into thinking he’s above politics.

   Obama’s reaction will need to be along the lines of “let’s get right person elected to deal with this in the long term; the debate must go on so the American people can judge how we plan to handle the economy in the next 4 years”.

2. DG-rad Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 3:21 pm

   i think it shows he is serious about being a leader… and i am an ardent obama supporter!

3. BeyondDC Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 3:22 pm

   Er, isn’t as eloquent as Obama.

4. BeyondDC Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 3:26 pm

   What bugs me about this is that when taken alongside Palin’s almost total absence from availability, it’s part of a pattern from the McCain camp of intentionally trying to avoid telling the American people how things will be run in a McCain administration.

   That’s a big warning light to me, especially considering Bush’s lack of accountability.

   For god’s sake, America. Haven’t we had enough of leaders who think they’re above accountability? Isn’t it time to demand politicians stand up in front of us and defend their policies? Are we really this fucking stupid as a nation?

5. BeyondDC Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 3:30 pm

   “Of course Senator McCain wants to cancel the debate. Republican politics got us into this mess and he knows it, so Senator McCain wants to distract America from his party’s fault. If Senator McCain wants to prove he is a responsible leader, then I challenge him to stand up to the American people and defend the policies his party has enacted and he will continue in a public debate. We won’t let Bush and McCain hide THIS TIME.”

   - What Obama should be saying right now.

6. BeyondDC Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 3:43 pm

   I can’t believe McCain has the gall to expect us to believe that mere days before going mano-a-mano against Obama, suddenly Congress can’t get along without him on an issue that McCain has admitted to being weak on.

   Bullshit. Bullshit bullshit bullshit.

   I’m just mad about this one. Most obviously ploy since the gas tax holiday.

7. Ben Ross Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

   Obama’s proposal of a joint statement put McCain in a bind. He’s been posturing on the bailout, now he puts up or shuts up.

   Obama proposes equity for loans, modification of mortgages by bankruptcy judges (ideally, student loans too), and caps on executive compensation. If McCain says no, he loses the election. If McCain says yes, these provisions pass which is the last thing he wants.

   He’s trying to stop the popular revolt and reinstall the mood of panic so that the Paulson proposal can be rammed through.

8. Phil Lepanto Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 4:22 pm

   How conveniently you all forget that McCain invited the Obama camp to participate in joint town-hall meetings in New York City and New Orleans after Obama clenched the Democratic nomination.

   As far as I can tell, the proposals on the table for resolving this crisis aren’t very good and there isn’t much consensus on Capitol Hill. There is consensus that something needs to be done. Senators (whether running for President or not) are paid to argue the issues and legislate. Frankly, I think McCain is doing the right thing… and he did the right thing when he called Obama first and told him what he was doing.

9. BeyondDC Says:
   September 24th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

   How convenient you’re ignoring that Obama suggested to McCain a joint statement to avoid politicizing the issue, and McCain chose to make a political ploy instead of do something usefully bipartisan.

   How convenient you’re ignoring that apparently we’re supposed to be impressed that the man who hopes to run the country is incapable of multitasking.

   I tell you what. I’ll admit it’s not a ploy if the McCain camp moves up the VP debate to Friday. If it’s so important that McCain focus, let Palin and Biden go at it sooner rather than later.

   What’s that? You don’t want Palin to be seen or to talk to the press? Hmmmmm.

10. Phil Lepanto Says:
    September 24th, 2008 at 4:49 pm

    Biden is a Senator. I’d like him to be in the Senate doing his job alongside McCain and Obama.

    This issue is a lot more complicated and needs a lot more work than a joint statement from the two candidates. McCain’s camp has said they’ll be part of a joint statement, but the more important place for them to agree is in the Senate chamber, not the campaign trail.

11. BeyondDC Says:
    September 24th, 2008 at 5:10 pm

    And that takes 100% of John McCain’s time? Has he suddenly forgotten everything he needs to know about all the other issues? Is he incapable of debating in Washington?

    McCain is looking for an excuse to avoid what he knows is a losing proposition. He is trying to dupe the American people into voting for him without knowing all they deserve to know about him and his would-be administration.

    It’s insulting, no ifs ands or buts. If he were interested in acting responsibly, McCain would find a way to accommodate the debate.

12. BruceMcF Says:
    September 24th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

    Macain: I asked Sarah for advice, and she said, “Well, its like the Bridge to Nowhere. I was getting nowhere fighting for it, so I gave up, and then said I gave up for the good of the country. You aren’t doing any good by campaigning, so give up, and say you are doing it for the good of the country. Basically, John, if at first you don’t succeed, quit and spin.”

13. Dan Staley Says:
    September 25th, 2008 at 10:13 am

    I’m used to seeing flailing about and shenaniganing like this at the local level, but for a Presidential election? Wow. We are watching the wheels come off before our eyes. Palin looking no better than a sophomore debater lat night, McCain losing the media narrative, lie after lie being exposed, thrashing about from one position to another 180º from the one last week…sheesh.

    No way this guy gets elected. No way.

14. Dave Reid Says:
    September 25th, 2008 at 4:07 pm

    Don’t ask him to walk and chew gum at the same time? Transparently a political move.

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