Time for the Congressional Dems to run the four corners today and tomorrow and really put McCain in a bind.

Whatever bailout is necessary, if any, can surely wait until Monday.

I'm sure his colleagues are appreciative of his flying in at this point to help them work it out. The spinners are saying a deal will be worked out by tomorrow. Lord, it would be sooo great if they didn't.

McCain's absence will speak volumes.

And what will it say? "I'm an idiot! Thanks for playing."

This has to be hands-down the most boneheaded thing McCain has done in this campaign.

Next, he should pledge to spit on anybody who says they want to vote for him, in "the spirit of bi-partisanship", because he'd rather lose an election than pass by on a chance to spit on his supporters.

Maybe he should refuse to leave the senate, if elected president, because the senate has "too much important work to do that requires me".

So much for my getting to drink in the sweet, sweet tears of bitter liberals on election night.

Thanks, McInsane.

"...McCain campaign hasn't been doing debate prep for the past few days, and if he were to change course, he's not going to be as focused and in control of the situation as if he'd been readying himself for the confrontation all week."
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Seriously?

John McCain has attempted to make some remarkable transformations this election, but has not been focused on issues at all.

You can't possibly believe a week of study is going to change the fact that he has supported every measure that has led to America's crisis at home and abroad?

So much of McCain's campaign is complete bull that many often give him credit for things at least 50% bulll. Like his warning of the situation at Fannie and Freddie; we now know that he had insider information, but he made no serious efforts in this or any crisis, just as Bush and Paulson made no efforts to seriously understand and divert America from this current crises.

No more benefit of the doubt for any republican. At some point it has to be about responsibility and accountability.

Kevin, your first problem is that you labor under the delusion that if only there were some "competent" Republican conservative instead of McCain, then the liberals would be knocked back on their heels right now.

Conservatism and the Republicans aren't suffering because of McCain. McCain is suffering because he's a Republican and a conservative.

That said, when you're McCain, your nature is to take a lot of risks and gambles. The thing about risks and gambles is that most of them fail. If you want a party leader who's going to succeed -- or at least avoid failing -- as much as possible, then you want a play-it-safe guy. If you like risk-takers, you have to accept that a lot of the risks end up coming up empty while you hold out for the big win.

Good for Obama--well-played.

McCain's gambling on Americans' distaste for "politics"--which a lot of people seem to feel is a trivial pursuit, a sham and a show. But "politics" is how we choose our leaders; debates and speeches and policy papers (and even commercials) are not just some silly sideshow, they are components of the democratic process. We can't put democracy on hold in order to exercise "leadership" --without politics, we don't have leadership (not leadership that ostensibly represents the people, anyway).

More here, if you like:
http://policomic.wordpress.com/2008/09/25/dont-mess-with-dave/

I agree with your overall point that this was the perfect counterstrike by Obama, but McCain hasn't been doing debate prep? I don't know about all that. This is something that was cooked up in the last 24 hours. Worst case scenario, he's missed a day of debate prep, but I also wouldn't even bet on that. I'm sure they were hedging on this gamble from the get go, making sure that McCain was still doing his studying.

Besides, Sarah Palin has already demonstrated the model for responding to questions in foreign policy to which you don't know the answer: reflexively reduce it down to the global war on terror. Since McCain is old and his bumbling is mistook for gravitas (as opposed to incompetence) it will be a non-issue.

The Republican puppetmasters pulling all the strings while hiding in the shadows are not too concerned that the Democrats have nominated a candidate that is electable, informed and prepared. The Democrats have done that pretty regularly. What really concerns them is Obama's combination of temperment, wisdom and foresight. Specifically, because he stays cool when others panic, and because he wisely considers options and makes good strategic policy decisions, rather than getting caught up in short-term tactics, he has demonstrated a unique adroitness at avoiding getting dragged into their games of Rope-a-dope.
As a community organizer, he knew how to keep his eye on the prize and get tasks completed.
He saw the war as a bad idea and spoke out, while everyone else rushed to jump on board to avoid being negatively branded.
In the primaries, he was focused on the end. Sure, he made grand speeches, but he also carefully created a grassroots organization that sealed the deal back in March.
When almost everyone was screaming "Yes!" or "No!" about Palin, he stayed on message, and allowed the public to recognize her weaknesses.
While McCain runs around like a chicken with his head cut off, Obama continues to stay calm, focused and on message.
He is demonstrating, by example, that leadership through calm, intelligent, and reasoned decision-making is more effective than the fear-mongering,chest-thumping, saber-rattling, shoot-from-the hip, lying, power-grabbing model that the Republicans have relied upon since Nixon.
And THAT scares the hell out of them!

Unless they have been preparing Palin for the past week for Obama and send her to the debate, which is another move nobody would suspect and Obama would not be prepared for.

Kevin, your first problem is that you labor under the delusion that if only there were some "competent" Republican conservative instead of McCain, then the liberals would be knocked back on their heels right now.

I'm sorry, when did I say that, exactly? I am more or less lamenting the dwindling possibility, not some inevitable Republican victory, if only we had Reagan. I have made the point on more than one occasion that no incumbent party has ever won when the incumbent president has had approval numbers as low as Bush's. It has never happened. Not impossible, there are certainly other factors at play, but statistically it hasn't happened. And troubles in the economy tend to benefit the challenger. This is hardly the best environment for a member of the incumbent party, conservative or not, to win the day.

Conservatism and the Republicans aren't suffering because of McCain. McCain is suffering because he's a Republican and a conservative.

I tend to disagree. I've long regarded McCain as half-RINO, and barely conservative except, ala Nixon, when it's convenient for campaigning. And this latest stunt is hardly because he's a conservative or a Republican, to the degree he's either of those things.

If you like risk-takers, you have to accept that a lot of the risks end up coming up empty while you hold out for the big win.

Yeah, well, there's risks, then there's just dumb. I think this is just dumb.

Jenga--that's such an interesting thought...is that actually possible? or do you think there are rules pertaining to the debates that would make it impossible? I'd be really curious to see that...

Jenga--that's such an interesting thought...is that actually possible? or do you think there are rules pertaining to the debates that would make it impossible? I'd be really curious to see that...

WHY DOES THIS CAPTCHA SUCK SO MUCH!?

Ole Miss spent $5.5m on prepping for the debate. That's not as much as $700,000,000,000, but it's the kind of money that puts a dent in the budget.

Mississippi's voting patterns are heavily correlated with race. If Obama gets 30% of the white vote, he most likely takes the state.

Put the two together.

Unless they have been preparing Palin for the past week for Obama and send her to the debate.

Oh, I think Obama would be prepared for that now.

I dunno. The solution for McCain is pretty simple if he wants to walk it back: participate, but from Washington by satellite uplink.

I don't know if it's possible, but it's a heck of a curveball by a campaign that has done nothing but the unconvential. As Ezra wrote a post in the past they deciding to play the craps table, because they know they can't beat the house playing Texas Hold'em. If Palin shows up and wants to debate and Obama says it's against the rules, he's going to look like that kid in fourth grade that got the crap beat out of him buy a girl.

I don't know if it's possible, but it's a heck of a curveball by a campaign that has done nothing but the unconvential.

True, but judging by Palin's performances in non-scripted settings, the pitch would hit the dirt, bounce into the stands and allow the runners to advance.

jenga and Brian -

Easy on the concern trolling. Not only would they never send Palin to debate Obama, they no longer even want her to debate Biden. In fact, after the Couric interview, they're in the process of surgically removing her voicebox altogether.

The cognitive dissonance of some Repubs is an amazing thing to observe.

Barrack Obama's inexperience might cost him the poll come end of the year due to recession.