You may have already seen this quote today, where Republican campaign consultant Craig Shirley assessed the effect of John McCain’s re-reversed stance on attending tonight’s presidential debate (via the Huffington Post’s Sam Stein):
In the end, he blinked and Obama did not. The ’steady hand in a storm’ argument looks now to more favor Obama, not McCain.
The Obama campaign couldn’t have framed things any better, you might think to yourself, and you’d be right — Obama spokesman Bill Burton used the same metaphor yesterday (via Ben Smith at Politico):
Throughout the course of this crisis, Sen. Obama has shown voters that he would be a steady hand at the wheel were he to be elected president at a time of crisis, and I don’t know that voters would have gotten the same impression having seen John McCain over the course of this same week.
Burton’s comments today on behalf of Obama have continued to push this steady-vs.-unsteady theme, and you can bet that Barack himself will find a way to work it into his debate arguments tonight.
Ironically, one of the reasons McCain had for wanting to avoid the debate is that being seen as the "safer," more experienced candidate is traditionally a plus in presidential elections — and in the past, nationally televised debates (most notably for Ronald Reagan in 1980) have been a forum where a candidate seen as risky or inexperienced could cross the "credibility threshold" by coming across as composed and knowledgeable enough to be a plausible President. Already ahead in most polls, Obama could close the proverbial deal tonight with many wavering voters with a calm, confident presentation.
That danger for McCain is now magnified by the clumsy impulsiveness he’s demonstrated the past few days. Just by keeping his cool, Obama can portray himself as not only the outsider who will bring change to Washington, but as the safer, steadier leader — a rare combination that will be hard to defeat.
McCain’s insistence on seeing the election (and world events) as mere vehicles for his all-consuming personal drama has been noted before. Now, it’s almost impossible not to notice… and it may be about to guarantee his defeat.
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jee-bus. simultaneous posts.
McCain will be on Snuffy’s Sunday show. Snuffy wants your questions.
I’d love to see a McCain melt down where he’s left shaking and screaming about having been a POW. However, I believe that he will be sufficiently sedated to prevent just such an occurance. Too bad his radio cheating can’t be captured and exposed.
Unless, of course, the little receiver on his back shorts out, starts to smoke, catches fire, and he disappears in a ball of fire.
That’d be awesome.
Obama now polling at a corrected +6. It’s about over Presidentially speaking. Now I’m thinking about the Congressional situation and not at all liking how the bailout affects those prospects.
Oh dear God, the Gift, she just Keeps On Giving.
let’s see….. one of the would be captains of the titanic just jumped overboard. and the other one is calmly, and with a steady hand, keeping us on course… for the ice berg.
fffffffffffffuck.
Given the multiple reports that the KKK intends to be present outside the venue tonight, does anyone take comfort in the fact that the FBI routinely infiltrates groups capable of violence?
Me neither.
Digg
Look, you guys, if Obama had just agreed to McCain’s demand that they have a bunch of “townhall” debates none of this would have happened. So get off of John McCain’s back. He tried to make it all come out right, and it was Obama who f’ed everything up.
Is the FBI going to allow those clowns anywhere near?
How can John leave Washington without saving the day?!!!
Now Wall Street will really panic now that the Great Deregulator has left town!! Oh My!
The Economist’s Readers Have Spoken.
The frickin’ Economist. It’s over.
McShames erratic pick of Palin
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/….._0926.html
Kennedy taken to hospital
excellent news. thank you!
does that mean we can focus on our current economic crisis without worrying too much about how it will affect the election and instead how it will affect everything else?
Is Nora Desmond ready for her close-up now ???
that’s gonna leave a mark …
Hot Shot Johnnie Mac on Afterburners. Or DRAMA QWEEEEN!. You decide.
S
c
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o
l
l
Heh heh, you funny…
John was there. He lip synced the Mighty Mouse Theme Song ala Andy Kaufman. With his work done, he left.
It seems the rethugs can’t figure out what McShame contributed to debate
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/….._0926.html
And h/t to Barney Frank for the Andy Kaufman reference.
lol. only when i’m not trying to be.
YouTube here.
The Time article says that they won’t be in costume but also that they don’t plan to be in the designated protest area. Sounds like they’ll try to distribute literature to audience members going into the venue.
Done, thank you.
Thanks Swopa.
I didn’t see that he had done that. Glad Barney did.
You guys saw the Sarah Palin swimsuit competition video from the Miss Alaska 1984 Pageant above, right?
It was underwhelming.
I like the Andy Kaufman video better.
The straightshooter sure has a tendency to go off half-cocked, doesn’t he?
Due to some last minute guests, I’m gonna miss the debate although I take
some comfort in knowing that McCain has won ! /s
That’s right. It is all about character and temperment. Icebergs respond to character and temperment. Even dinosaurs knew this although with them it had to do with meteors.
John McCain thinks he deserves a bailout from the voters.
John McCain:
Worse than Bush
So Mrs. Greenspan, you are back on the nuclear GE tee vee. I have a few questions for you. Such as How much money do you and Allan get from GoldmanSachs?
If you are so smart why don’t you know anything? Are you the biggest liar on MSNBC?
I think the ice berg comment is unwarranted and unnecessary.
I meant no disrespect to icebergs.
I liked it. I don’t think I agree with it, but I thought it was a legitimate opinion, vividly stated.
This sounds like a job for Presidential Speechalist Harlan McCraney
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km26gMI847Y
Not the FBI, it would be whether the Secret Service will let them anywhere near. I wouldn’t be surprised to find if any even get close (not likely), they all have an individual federal agent right beside them.
ROFL
grandma cbl would say this is as cool as the underside of the pillow
If the opinions of Palin continue to decline, I can see McCain performing
this song.
I need suggestions. I was thinking Merlot this evening to go with the red meat in Ole Miss. Maybe a Shiraz?
and tone. don’t forget the importance of tone.
I’m partial to Chianti although Shiraz is nice too
I’d go with either a cabernet sauvignon or a zinfandel.
Something with plenty of depth and substance, otherwise it will be overwhelmed by the red meat. Zinfandel if you want more spice, CS if you’re looking for something smoother.
depends on which one.
but i’d go with whichever goes best with chocolate, if you have some good dark chocolate in the house. then you can save a glass to have with desert.
Ah, well then you’d be looking for a nice port, or perhaps a black muscat dessert wine.
HOly CRAP, that’s a lotta blinkin’!
Thanks John, I love that one.
LOL. That worked out so well with Roberts, didn’t it?
McSFB couldn’t lead a pack of hungry wolves to a fresh carcass.
Yes indeed, dark chocolate is a must…Trader Joes Orange and dark chocolate.and Trader Joes 2.99 merlot. All set and ready to enjoy…. I think
Night all.
Are you kiddin’ me? They’ll provide front row tickets.
i don’t go for very many dessert wines – at least not with chocolate (maybe vanilla ice cream and fruit?). a good port, which is completely out of my financial consideration these days, i’d sip on it’s own.
for dark chocolate, i’d go with a big tannic and young california cab. it’s been years since i’ve splurged on something like that… but i can still remember the what it tasted like. yum yum.
jealous!
hope you enjoy it 2x.
You’ll be happy to know that I put that, in large red letters, on all my bills when I mail in my payments.
exactly.
McCain has, indeed, tossed Obama a high fastball, over the plate. Even the Green Monster shouldn’t stop him from hitting a home run.
The issue isn’t who should answer that infamous 3:00 am phone call. Hell, the phones at the White House ring at 3:00 am all the time, just as they ring at every other hour, all day, every day.
The issue isn’t whether aides can wake up 72, 73, 74 or 75-year old St. John, after a few sleeping pills or a few blue ones, or following a few rounds of scotch around the craps table McCain will set up in the White House situation room.
The issue is whether St. John would know which 3:00 am calls to take. Which to ignore, which to delegate, and which to pay close attention to. One of those might be from a Cabinet member, discombobulated in the midst of a painful divorce, who needs old friend St. John to tell him what color tie to wear. One might be from Putin, inviting St. John to Moscow to open a new casino on his birthday. Another might be from a junior analyst who’s just confirmed the authenticity of a decoded message that says, “bin Laden intends to strike DC at noon tomorrow.”
Based on John McCain’s antics this week, he’d spend so much time on the second call, he’d never get to the third one.