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The Note: McCain’s Move: Brilliant or Boneheaded?

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September 25, 2008 8:30 AM

ABC News' Rick Klein reports in Thursday's Note: There was no bailout coming for Sen. John McCain’s campaign. So he tried to create his own.

McCain’s move is a gamble, something of a gimmick -- and something that only a campaign headed in the wrong direction might do. But for a campaign trying to project “country first,” there may not be a better chance to live the message.

Whether or not there’s a deal and therefore a debate, McCain dealt himself back into the biggest issue of the campaign.

A day of candidate phone tag -- capped by asking for a debate rain check -- put Sen. Barack Obama on defense at least for the moment, leaving him (perhaps awkwardly, perhaps elegantly) defending politics while McCain talks policy.

As of Thursday morning, McCain aides tell ABC News that the candidate isn’t going to Mississippi Friday unless a deal on the bailout bill is in place -- though the prospects of such a deal are looking up.

Read the rest of The Note -- and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day -- from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.

Maybe he’s seen, ultimately, as nudging things along. But is this a measure that McCain wants to be witnessed touching?

“John McCain is a gambler by nature, and the bet he placed Wednesday may be among the biggest of his political life,” Dan Balz writes in The Washington Post. “What he risks, if things don't go as he hopes, is a judgment by voters that his move was a reckless act by an impetuous and struggling politician that hardened partisan lines in Washington at just the wrong moment and complicated efforts to deal with the biggest financial crisis in more than half a century.”

It’s the surge all over again: McCain now owns a policy that’s viewed with fierce skepticism, even (and especially) by members of his own party. It’s not that he hasn’t been here before -- it’s that he hasn’t been here before this close to an election.

Did someone mention a gamble? “Faced with unfavorable odds in the presidential campaign, John McCain time and again finds a way to roll the dice,” Peter Wallsten and Peter Nicholas write for the Los Angeles Times. “And, like naming a running mate untested on the national stage, it carries risks: Will voters view McCain's move as decisive, or unsteady, or even as an overtly partisan act to gain traction on an issue that he said Wednesday should transcend partisanship?”

“Bold or bonkers,” reads the New York Daily News headline.

Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.

ABC News' Hope Ditto contributed to this report.

September 25, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Bush, George W., McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Palin, Sarah, Washington, White House | Permalink | User Comments (296)

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McCain wimps out of the debate because he has no way to answer for the republican disaster of the last eight years, and Sarah Mooseburger won't answer any questions from anyone because she's an idiot. And half the country supports these frauds. They elected Bush twice, why not McBush the third?

Posted by: Bob | Sep 25, 2008 8:41:18 AM

100% Boneheaded - He is NOT the President nor is he acting Presidential.

If Winston Churchill could leave London in December 1941 and travel to America to address a joint session of Congress even as British troops in the Far East were reeling under Japanese attacks, somehow we think John McCain can make his way down to Oxford, Miss., for a debate Friday evening without imperiling the future of America. (Rocky Mountain News)

Posted by: Paige | Sep 25, 2008 8:47:41 AM

Bill Clinton just took Obama to the woodshed.

Posted by: geevill | Sep 25, 2008 8:48:29 AM

Anytime you need to ask if a move was boneheaded or brilliant why not just say pander or political?

Posted by: jim | Sep 25, 2008 8:49:50 AM

Wall Street Greed VS Main Street Need

Dear concerned citizens of America and Mass Media of the U.S.A.
As a concerned registered independent voter, forensic psychiatrist, disabled American I made my decision to vote after taking into consideration following joint tickets attributes and characteristics.

1. Has the ticket shown adequate calmness, coolness, and connectedness's under pressure to lead our nation [Presidential Temperament]?
2. Has the ticket shown sustained sound "Judgment and Caliber"?
3. Has the ticket shown adequate understanding of depth and degree to address the crucial challenges in their their purpose, policies, and positions [ Honesty, integrity and sincerity]?
4. Has the ticket sufficient "understanding and knowledge" of inside Washington workings [Experience]"?
5. Has the ticket reservoir resilience, wisdom, and vigor to address the present and future f our beloved "Great-grand Nation"?
6. Has the ticket enough joint foreign policy experience and exposure based on " Values, Virtues, Vastness, and " [American moral soul]"?
7. Has their campaign talk, slogans, ads, plans, and programs based on facts and are they free of fear, fiction, frivolous labels, unfair attacks, negativity, and impulsively? [No "imminent danger to national
security and safety"].
8. Has the ticket genuinely kept on message of country first and politics last and avoided copying [Message change"]?
9.Has the ticket message stayed away from Culture divide and war[ Disaster prevention ]?
10. Has the ticket resisted being surrounded, supported and surrogate's by divisiveness, distortion's, and destructive characters, [ Real patriotism VS shiftiness and shameless parrot-ism]?
11. Has the ticket thoughtful, real non-partisan, & non-impulsive plans to address our current economic crisis or political tactics and temperamental statements.
I have personally and professionally concluded that OBAMA-BIDEN ticket will lift and inspire our greatgrand nation back to its greatness within and restore our global standing with the use of maximum, firm
international diplomacy and minimal force if and when indicated {" Peace thru Strenght "}.
12. The era of responsibility has to replace irresponsibility and unaccountability will change to accountability and transparency. The Wall Street greed will change to Main Street need.

Yours sincerely,

COL. A.M.Khajawall [Ret] MD.
Forensic psychiatrist, Disabled American Veteran and Iraq
Freedom team. Grass roots California leader per Senator McCain's

PS: It is sad and unfortunate that Hon, Temperamental Maverick McCain has been turned into " Roller-coaster" by his political moves and handlers.

Posted by: COL.A.M.Khajawall [Ret[ | Sep 25, 2008 8:51:32 AM

If anyone can't see that this is a political stunt have to be as stupid as McCain. To hear people say oh this is Presidential is absolutely ludacris! If you can't chew gum and walk at the same time, then spit it out and move on! What will he do if he's President and we have a catastrophe? Probably read part 2 of My Pet Goat!

Posted by: R | Sep 25, 2008 8:53:37 AM

In one of his ad McCain point a finger on Obama for not acting on this issue. And now what is he doing? You decide. . . concern voter

Posted by: concern voter | Sep 25, 2008 8:54:26 AM

A Stunt is not a Plan!

If McCain is so honorable, he would have waited until Obama gave his opinion before McCain decided to suspend his campaign.

This is another "stunt" to shake things up, just like Palin.

Do we need leaders that will pull stunts or come up with a "plan".

Posted by: r-dub | Sep 25, 2008 8:55:48 AM

I don't need someone "gambling" with my future. What is more important than proving you are ready for the job. If he can't handle more than one crisis at a time, then what the heck is he doing running for president? His VP choice sure can't help. She can't even handle questions from the media unless it's in a controlled environment.He should be able to fly to Washington, have meetings, fly to Mississippi and do the debate and fly back to Washington. It's called multi-tasking. Something the majority of us do on a daily basis.

Posted by: Bea | Sep 25, 2008 8:55:52 AM

That's what the country needs, another idiot for president, a gambler, a mavarick, what the hell is he going to offer to fix the problem, he claimed himself not to be an economy expert, so now he whimps out of the debate and thinks he looks like he knows something or cares, I'm sick of these morons....

Posted by: matt | Sep 25, 2008 8:56:13 AM

geevill - you mean Clinton on the morning shows stating the financial crisis has the potential to become a true disaster, and touted Obama as the man to resolve it? That's a really nice "woodshed".

Posted by: Paige | Sep 25, 2008 8:57:04 AM

geevil get a life. Go find a woman or something. I'm beginning to feel sorry for you. When McCain picked Sarah Palin, everyone thought it was a stroke of genius. Now that the new-shoe glow is gone, it is beginning to backfire. McCain does not have the temprament to be the President. He is a gambler. The Presidency is not for gamblers. The Presidency needs discipline. The only thing keeping McCain in this race is the fact that he is running against a black man. Period. As for Bill Clinton: he is turning himself rapidly into another Liebermann. It is very clear that he is trying to undermine Obama in this campaign.

Posted by: Kevin | Sep 25, 2008 8:57:09 AM

geevil, I read your crap out here all the time and you just spew hate and racism all the time, go back to the park and pick up the rest of the trash, you are just an angry person with nothing to offer....

Posted by: matt | Sep 25, 2008 9:01:11 AM

Brilliant

Posted by: anon | Sep 25, 2008 9:03:18 AM

A PLOY he is hurtung and b=needs a new tatic.....He is a piece of junk

Posted by: indp voter | Sep 25, 2008 9:05:28 AM

Of Obama insists on debating Friday noght and there is no deal, Sarah Palin should be send in McCain's stead to debate Obama, as would be appropriate for a VP candidate. I think its the best solution.

Posted by: s.b. | Sep 25, 2008 9:05:46 AM

My thoughts exactly Dr. Khajawall. Thank you.

Posted by: ohiogal | Sep 25, 2008 9:05:48 AM

Lindsey Graham speaks to Fox that Americans needs this, package to go through. Yet all the Republicans, including McCain, were against the bill. So This means according to Lindsey Graham, The Republicans were wrong? All last week they stalled and said they didn't want the Bailout, now this morning, It was Declared it has to go thru. Curious. But Bush did say the Republicans must get this Bill to Pass. Will McCain listen to Bush? Finally, Bush is telling McCain to make it so. Will Bush in a Dress listen. McCain should have listened to America and Obama to begin with. Thank you Bush( for once, you made someone listen)

Posted by: historyforgotten | Sep 25, 2008 9:05:59 AM

Obama says, “As I said before, I think that one of the things we have to determine is how we can be most helpful. It’s my sense that the most helpful thing we can do right now is, uh, to let everyone know this is a sufficiently important problem. I can be helpful, and I am prepared to be anywhere, anytime. So, uh, I think the message is, if I can be helpful, I am prepared to be there at any point.”

Bear in mind that Senator Obama wants to run the executive branch starting in January. At a moment when his country needs leadership and Congress is meeting to determine policy that will affect the executive branch for the next several months and years, he doesn’t consider his role as a Senator important enough to take part in those negotiations. “If I can be helpful,” Obama says, indicating that he doesn’t consider fulfilling his current responsibilities helpful or even desirable.

Instead he wants to let everyone know that this is a “sufficiently important problem”. Sufficiently important how? Apparently, “sufficiently important” to issue press statements, but not “sufficiently important” to get back to work for a few days. What would constitute a problem “sufficiently important” enough for him to do that? Congress needs to address a $700 billion bailout that Obama has already stated will severely restrict his policy options if he wins the elections. Doesn’t he have a “sufficiently important” interest in that, either?

Obama has another problem with returning to Washington, one that received little attention in the analysis of McCain’s challenge yesterday. Obama has to raise $3 million each day in order to hit his target of $100 million a month. He needs to conduct fundraisers constantly in order to make that goal. Taking three or four days off the campaign trail means a potential loss of revenue for Obama, one he can ill afford at the moment. That’s a “sufficiently important problem” that would keep Obama out of Washington.

Posted by: If I Can Be Helpful | Sep 25, 2008 9:06:50 AM

If Obama insists on debating Friday night and there is no deal, Sarah Palin should be send in McCain's stead to debate Obama. It's appropriate for a VP candidate to stand in for the presidential candidate. I think it's the best solution

Posted by: s.b. | Sep 25, 2008 9:07:06 AM

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