Ducking Debates
mccain, obama 8:16 AM
Many of you don't believe that Senator Obama acts on what is politically convenient first, what's best for the country second. Here's your proof that you're wrong.
In the primaries, Barack Obama had 22 debates with Senator Clinton.
She challenged him to a debate in Wisconson, he refused. He said that people had heard enough.
Then they debated in Texas, then in Ohio. He lost both states.
Then they debated in Pennsylvania, where he did horribly. He lost that state by almost 10 points, and ended up canceling the scheduled debate in North Carolina.
Senator Clinton invited him to debate her in Indiana, and he refused.
Senator Clinton invited Obama to a Lincoln-Douglas debate in Oregon. He refused.
After clinching his party's nomination, Obama was invited by Senator McCain to travel along with him in an ongoing series of town hall debates to take place all across America. To listen to the questions and concerns of all Americans and address them side by side. Obama declined every invitation.
Today, Barack Obama is railroading Senator McCain for wanting to postpone the presidential debate scheduled for tonight. Not to cancel it mind you, but to push it back by as much as a few weeks so that we can deal with our present crisis and he can do his job as Senator.
Does nobody else find this interesting? Barack has ducked AT LEAST 14 debates already, John has ducked NONE. When Obama debates, he loses that state. When McCain debates, he wins. Yet, now it's politically convenient for Obama to force McCain into this debate because it's suicide for Obama to allow McCain to do his job and show himself a strong leader. Oh, plus - as a bonus, Obama was going to lose Mississippi anyway, so no harm no foul.
Change we can believe in? Hardly.
In the primaries, Barack Obama had 22 debates with Senator Clinton.
She challenged him to a debate in Wisconson, he refused. He said that people had heard enough.
Then they debated in Texas, then in Ohio. He lost both states.
Then they debated in Pennsylvania, where he did horribly. He lost that state by almost 10 points, and ended up canceling the scheduled debate in North Carolina.
Senator Clinton invited him to debate her in Indiana, and he refused.
Senator Clinton invited Obama to a Lincoln-Douglas debate in Oregon. He refused.
After clinching his party's nomination, Obama was invited by Senator McCain to travel along with him in an ongoing series of town hall debates to take place all across America. To listen to the questions and concerns of all Americans and address them side by side. Obama declined every invitation.
Today, Barack Obama is railroading Senator McCain for wanting to postpone the presidential debate scheduled for tonight. Not to cancel it mind you, but to push it back by as much as a few weeks so that we can deal with our present crisis and he can do his job as Senator.
Does nobody else find this interesting? Barack has ducked AT LEAST 14 debates already, John has ducked NONE. When Obama debates, he loses that state. When McCain debates, he wins. Yet, now it's politically convenient for Obama to force McCain into this debate because it's suicide for Obama to allow McCain to do his job and show himself a strong leader. Oh, plus - as a bonus, Obama was going to lose Mississippi anyway, so no harm no foul.
Change we can believe in? Hardly.
Posted by Nick Stone
on 8:16 AM.
Filed under
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TOTALLY AGREE!
Barack Obama has participated in a number of debates already during the primary season. I would argue that had the Republican primary cycle gone on as long as the Democratic one, McCain would have been ducking debates left and right. He winds up looking like a doddering old man half the time.
Oh, and looks like the world was saved, he has decided to do the debate tonight anyways.
After days of saying that John McCain would not attend Friday's presidential debate unless an agreement on a bailout package for the markets was "locked-down," the McCain campaign has gone back on its word.
On Friday, it announced that the Senator would head down to Mississippi even though, as they readily admit, much work remained needed on the bailout agreement.
The whole episode left even conservatives admitting that the McCain campaign looked erratic and a bit foolish with no apparent direction or guiding principle.
"It just proves his campaign is governed by tactics and not ideology," said Republican consultant Craig Shirley, who advised McCain earlier in this cycle. "In the end, he blinked and Obama did not. The 'steady hand in a storm' argument looks now to more favor Obama, not McCain."
Shirley added, "My guess is that plasma units are rushing to the McCain campaign as we speak to replace the blood flowing there from the fights among the staff."
Adding to the rocky perception was a McCain campaign web ad released this morning declaring "McCain Wins Debate!" -- put out even before the candidate had announced he was planning to debate.
Hey, guess what?
Obama WON the democratic primaries. Seems to me that he did pretty well at those debates.
He'd also been on the trail for 18 MONTHS. If McCain had gone through even a fraction of the campaign gauntlet that Obama has, well, let's just say he might be resting in one of those failing veteran hospitals right about now.
and hey, guess what this time?
John McCain TRIED to duck this debate...and it failed. It came back to embarass him.
He went to DC to "save" the bailout plan (not having even read it, mind you). But after he left, the plan is again in jeopardy. Also, news accounts of the sessions say he merely sat there and didn't offer up much solution. It was a political gamble that simply didn't pay off-- you just can't admit it.
Some leadership, huh? Show up in DC for a photo-op, play political chicken until your bluff is called?
If he's such a leader, why doesn't he stay in DC through the weekend and work on the bailout plan?
oh, right...because he has to campaign and try to reverse his falling poll numbers. He's not even enough of a leader to stick to his promise to halt his campaign. He's not even enough of a leader to back up his economic views from a mere two days ago.
McCain tried to inject politics into something even he said should be non-partisan. And the American people saw right through it. McCain blinked and the people saw him for the zig-zagging political traitor he is.
This week was an embarrassment for McCain. It was also an embarrassment for Palin (where's your post claiming she did a great job...or have you "recluded" yourself from posting that?)
Have fun watching the debates tonight!
Ok, I typically just glance at these blogs, but you all know that I got no problem standing in the middle and asking questions on both sides. As one of the only undecided voters that I know, I feel it is important to hear from all of you...well educated, well versed, and opinionated voices when I make my decision.
That said, to the "anyonymous" poster who left the last post how about an attitude check? Nick has been a staunch proponent of the democrats through the highs and lows. He's dragged his ass out of bed at hours of the morning where I can't even see past the covers to work the voting booths and picket lines. He has educated himself on the issues and isn't afraid to speak his mind. Lets hold back on the blame game, name calling and look at some issues. You can engage in political discussions without blasting the guy and focus on issues, leadership, and pertinent qualities.
And most importantly, if you got something to say, say it like a respectable human being and not like a thief in the night. Identify yourself, let your voice be heard, be recognized. That adds accountability and I believe that is a leadership quality we're looking for from our Government?
Couldn't agree more. McCain goes to DC to work on issues, the Obama camp states "he can be reached if needed", and somehow McCain is still the bad guy. He had no choice but to debate this evening because B Hussein would have backed his campaign bus over top of McCain had he not agreed to and the liberal media outlets would have been all too happy to help. The problem is, now that he has opted out of public financing (speaking of flip flopping) he can't afford to spend time doing is REAL job as a US Senator. He must constantly be out raising money in hopes of securing his next job. If debating is so fundamentally important to BHO, why no town hall meetings? To the nameless scatter brain that alleges the Obama won the primaries I would strongly urge you to read up on the meaning of the word "WIN". A more acceptable approach would be Obama took the primaries, or was given the primaries without merit or even stole the primaries if you will. "Super delegates should not choose the nomination" oh how quick your tune changes when 18.1 million people don't go your way. Odd...
BTW, According to MSNBC's David Shuster, McCain Aide Mark Salter has confirmed that last night John McCain spent two or three hours preparing for tonight's debate.
So in the middle of this financial crisis, as he was claiming to have stopped campaigning, John McCain was doing debate prep.
Just another example that McCain's "suspended" campaign was nothing more than a political ploy to look like he was actually doing something.
I agree with the aforementioned "scatterbrained" commentator. The fact you people actually think McCain did this who "going to Washington" song and dance for any other reason than as a political ploy are seriously delusional. As the previous poster mentioned, HE WAS DOING DEBATE PREP LAST NIGHT, not saving the economy!
Also, despite what you Hillary conspiracy theorists are thinking, Obama won the number of delgates needed to win. Sorry about Florida and Michigan, it's a fact of life. Blame the states, not Obama. Move on. Maybe choose the candidate whose opinions more closely mirror your own (or Hillary's)?
Rather than choosing based on a personal opinion of Obama, maybe take a step back and look at the alternative. A flip-flopping old man, who the John McCain of 2000 wouldn't even recognize or vote for today. Not to mention his highly under qualified running mate (did you SEE those Katie Couric interviews?!)
It's so crazy to me that you all don't see McCain for who he is. The man has done everything in this campaign to lower the overall discourse to a dirty political shouting match, including drag Obama into the mud (Sex Ed for Kindergartners...when in actuality the bill was designed to teach kids when to speak up if they're being touched inappropriately -- not to mention he didn't even write/sponsor the bill). Despicable.
I really hope you guys wise up before the election. If not, and McCain wins, you're going to spend the next 4 or 8 regretting electing him and his batshit Christian crazy running mate.
To Mikey:
funny, I don't recall blaming or name-calling the author of this blog. I do, however, recall pointing out that by all stretches of the political imagination, he should be voting for Obama. But instead he blindly follows McCain, and refuses to acknowledge his campaign's stumbles and shortcomings.
Maybe he's simply a bitter Hillary supporter who couldn't get over it.
I voted for Hillary in the primaries, and when she didn't win, I threw my support behind the candidate who shares nearly EVERY SINGLE ONE of her political views.
To Jeff:
seeing as you call Barack Obama "B Hussein" and believe that "stole the primaries" with the help of the "liberal media," you reveal yourself as unreasonable and biased. What are you going to say next? That Obama is a muslim? That he's a terrorist? and you call me "scatter brain...," wow. Why don't you go back to your republican buffet-line of false accusations and lies. Pick and choose the lie you want, go back for seconds!
Obama won the necessary votes to secure the democratic nomination--- deal with it.
You say McCain went to DC to "work on issues?" Please, tell me what work he did? Find ONE example beyond being a showboating, camera-ready liar. This was his economic equivalent of "Mission Accomplished"-- swooping in to save the day, but...uh, oh, wait...not so fast.
Even House Republicans have said McCain did more harm than good-- the bailout was closer to being passed until McCain swept in and grinned creepily for the cameras. All inside accounts reveal he had no part in the talks. Now he has to save face shrink back to the debates.
face it--- it was a political PR stunt that didn't work. MCCain lost the momentum, he the PR, he will lose tonight's debate. And, oh yeah, he's going to lose the election.
Again as I have said many times, any person that nees to hide behind an "anonymous" post really can't be taken seriously. Grow a pair then maybe your thoughts and comments can be taken seriously. And PS I am not voting for McCain because Hillary is out of the race, I was never voting for her.
I just do not see how somebody as smart as you, Nick, doesn't see how pathetic and offensive the McCain campaign as become:
http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/10/embarracuda.html