McCain The Chessmaster Part II

McCain's motivations to suspend campaigning, tentatively to suspend the debate, and to return to Washington for the duration of the fiscal crisis get clarified. And McCain gets the seal of approval for his acts from former President Bill Clinton - who even manages to work in a jab and a right cross to Obama. Lastly, Fox News notes the potential downsides for McCain if he is not able to rally Republicans behind a plan.

I wrote below, in the post McCain the Chessmaster, that I suspected that McCain's decision to suspend campaigning and return to Washington was a mix of both cold political calculus and "country first." It turns out I was too cynical. We learn today that McCain was responding to a direct plea from Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson to return to Washington and take leadership of the Republicans. This from Bob Schieffer at CBS News:

I am told, Maggie, that the way McCain got involved in this in the first place, the Treasury Secretary was briefing Republicans in the House yesterday, the Republican conference, asked how many were ready to support the bailout plan. Only four of them held up their hands. Paulson then called, according to my sources, Senator Lindsey Graham, who is very close to John McCain, and told him: you’ve got to get the people in the McCain campaign, you’ve got to convince John McCain to give these Republicans some political cover. If you don’t do that, this whole bailout plan is going to fail. So that’s how, McCain, apparently, became involved.

He has gotten what he wants, he’s going to have this meeting, kind of a summit today with the president and Barack Obama. I’m told that the leaders of both parties are getting close to having some kind of a bill. The question, though, is whether rank-and-file Republicans, especially, are going to vote for this.

As Hot Air notes, after McCain explained this to Obama and offered to have him attend also, this puts Obama's initial decision not to take part in the Washington debates and not to suspend campaigning into a much blacker light. McCain answered the 3 A.M. phone call; Obama routed it to his answering machine.

And Bill Clinton could not be more partisan in this - partisan on the side of McCain. In one minute, Clinton:

1. Says McCain is acting in good faith in making his decisions

2. As to the possible cancelling of the Friday debate, opines that this is not a cold political move because McCain wanted more debates.

3. Recasts the fiscal crisis as a national security issue - and when people think national security, McCain has over a twenty point advantage on Obama.

This is really amazing:



(H/T Hot Air)

Lastly, Fox News points out, as I did in the post below, that McCain is taking significant risk in coming back to Washington because Republicans are in revolt over this bailout. If McCain fails to rally Republicans around the rescue operation, he will fail. If he rallys them around the op but does so without doing anything to placate conservatives, all the good will he has built up since February may well evaporate. I will say again, McCain needs to get something in the plan about a two year suspension of the capital gains taxes to get our economy to recover. That would be a win for McCain among the conservative base. It would also force Democrats hand. Such a reprieve on capital gains taxes could be sold as a necessary measure to protect people's life savings and 401k's during what is going to be a rough patch even with the bailout.

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Trying To Shake The Teleprompter Monkey

Some of the gaffes have been almost painful to watch:



This from the American Spectator on Obama's problem:

According to several Democrat political consultants presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama spent part of his Hawaiian vacation working on weaning himself from a heavy dependence on teleprompters. Even in what are staged as "town hall" events for Obama, remarks are scripted or formatted into bullet points that scroll on teleprompter screens. Obama has had several embarrassing events where the teleprompter either malfunctioned or the screens were not fully visible.

"He just locks down and can't get the words out," says one political consultant. "For such a fine speaker, it's really quite remarkable that he's had issues."

Obama's troubles with unscripted moments contributed to his campaign's refusal to participate in town hall format debates or discussions with Sen. John McCain, who feels much more comfortable in the unscripted moments.

It really is a pity that John McCain is not opening every speach pointing to Obama's refusal to engage in any town hall debates, including the one sponsered by military families. The U.S. deserves to see Obama unscripted to get a feel for just how well he will do without a teleprompter before we send him off to meet with the axis of lunch guests.

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The Obamamatons

Prepare to be amazed at their intellectual prowess. It is man (and woman) on the street interviews in NYC with individuals so smitten with The One that they wear his visage for all to see on their t-shirts. This from an article in the Guardian (our MSM would never dare run this) wherein the first person at bat gives away her political bent by comparing Obama to Che Guerva in terms of marketing appeal.

This from the Guardian:

Jordana Zeldin, 24, photographer

Obama has become like Che Guevara in terms of what his face represents on merchandising. . .

. . . Obama represents this uniting force. He is willing to address the fact that America is far from perfect, in fact wildly flawed, in the way that recent politicians haven't done. For America to be this beacon of democracy it always says it is, it needs to acknowledge its flaws, look to other countries as models and build up from there. In terms of his biological and cultural make-up, he represents what America is - this racially mixed melting pot. It speaks to a lot of people who have moved to America or come from mixed families.

I knew our nation was imperfect, but I had no idea that in comparison it had so many flaws that we need to become more like, well, I am not sure who Ms. Z has in mind. Perhaps we can take lessons in democracy from the EU, a government form that retains the terminology of democracy while dispensing with the popular vote? Or perhaps we can become more Soviet like, as we may if Sen. Obama and the far left have their way. And one has to love Ms. Z's moral relativism spoken without any context and plied with a healthy does of identity politics.

Unfortunately, the other interviewees get no better. Next up:

Kellam Clark, 30, furniture maker and artist

I was sceptical about Obama initially. . . .

But then during the period in which he was debating against Hillary and the Republicans, he came out on top. I thought, I'll support him - he felt like the only one available to me. I'm now supporting [independent presidential candidate] Ralph Nader since he jumped back into the race. But I don't see it as a contradiction to wear the T-shirt. I still see it as important to endorse Obama, as one of the politicians we have available to us as progressive Americans. I don't go for the dream stuff, but he represents a changing of the guard. . . .

Mr. C is very confused. No Republicans showed up at the Dem debates. To the contrary Obama has been ducking and running from any direct debates with McCain like a mouse running away from a cat. And if he thinks Obama is coming out on top, obviously he did not tune in to Saddleback.

Viola Afrifa, 24, Student

. . . I'm fascinated by Obama's eloquence, the way that he speaks, both in terms of rhythm and words. I'm studying political communications, the way people project themselves, and he uses all of the techniques. The academic interest alerted me to Obama at first, and then it became political.

Obama is happy to negotiate without conditions, or so he says. He has a new way of dealing with other countries without looking only at American self-interest. This is something quite revolutionary.

A woman smitten by Obama and his teleprompter. As to "a new way of dealing" with other countries, obviously Ms. Afrifa's history lessons did not reach the 1930's. Obama's plan is not new, and it has been thoroughly discredited by history, and even Obama has disowned it as a plan. As to not "looking only at American self-interest," that is likely an accurate assessment. Given the number of people in his past now clinging to the bottom of the bus and the number of principles Obama has once claimed only to toss under the bus, I fully expect that a President Obama would put his political needs above the needs of the country. He's sort of the anti-McCain that way.

Sei Smith, 18, Student

I'm wearing it partly because I like how it looks and partly because I support Obama. I'm not a political person but the other candidates didn't speak to me. I saw Obama on television saying that you don't necessarily need experience if you have belief, and that sometimes experience can cloud your vision. I thought that was interesting and cool. Obama is similar to Lincoln in that he is a visionary. He's not as extreme as most young people, but he is a bridge to more radical views. To be a politician in America you can't be extreme, but he is pretty radical as politicians go.

If we all tap our heels together three times and just believe. . . . This is the Disney culture gone wild. It is interesting that Mr. Smith accepts Obama's take on experience without any sort of intellectual analysis. Obviously he wants to 'believe.' It is of note also that Smith sees Obama as a "bridge to more radical views." Obama's past is littered with radicals from Bill Ayers to Jeremiah Wright to name but a few. And his views on abortion that allow for infanticide are as radical as one will find in or outside of Washington. So Mr. Smith's is probably a correct assessment. If Obama takes over, it will in fact mark the first time that the far left has actually been handed the keys to the White House. Even Carter and Clinton ran as centrists.

Tony Gabaton, 30, community organiser

I wear the T-shirt because I admire Obama's forthright and genuine rhetoric; he is just cut from a different cloth from most politicians. After everything that went down in Florida in 2001 I was very cynical about the whole political process. He has revived hope in me as well as others. . . .

You have to love this one. What Obama did to get his Illinois state senate seat makes Florida 2001 look pristine and non-controversial. Obama only won his U.S. Senate seat when supporters were able to get the Court records unsealed on his opponents divorce (from the lovely Jeri Ryan). He has tossed campaign finance reform to the wind, and now he is preparing to buy votes in Philly. There is nothing about Obama that smacks of respect for the democratic process. As to 'cynical' - look that word up in the dictionary, I will be surprised if you do not find Obama's picture. Or if not there, then next to the definitions of 'hypocrisy' and 'ambition.' Obviously, the facts matter far less to Mr. G than does the fact that Gore lost the 2001 election.

You can read the entire Guardian article here. In all fairness, these folk are young and thus have an excuse for their lack of intellectual rigor. Our MSM on the other hand . . .

(H/T Maggies Farm)

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As Obama Ducks TownHall Debates, One Wonders Whether The MSM Will Carry This Coward To The Presidency (Updated)

We are supposed to be choosing a President, not annointing the left wing MSM's chosen messiah and Chris Matthew's personal viagra.

McCain offered to do ten town hall style debates with questions coming from the people and no time limit on answers. Obama offered up July 4 and one other date - in essence, ducking the offer. Military families offered to set up a town hall debate and hold it on a date of Mr. Obama's choosing. It turns out he's busy with other things every night between now and the election. Just how craven is Obama?

Obama has now agreed to only three debates - all before the MSM moderators which, if in typical format, will allow for only short, timed responses. This will allow Obama to limit his exposure and maximize his ability to get away with his daily rendition of outrageous assertions. It will also insure that the questions come from a group so thoroughly attached to Obama it is a wonder they don't come down with e-coli poisoning.

McCain needs to refuse and restate his offer of ten town hall style events - one each week until the election. Let Obama continue to duck and rely on an over the top biased MSM to protect Obama's back while the nation looks on. It does not seem to be working out quite according to plan so far. McCain should be hammering home on Obama's cowardly machinations every day. He should begin and end every speech talking about Obama's refusal to engage in any substantive debate.

Update: The McCain Camp has responded to Obama's decision with appropriate sarcasm:

“We understand it might be beneath a worldwide celebrity of Barack Obama’s magnitude to appear at town hall meetings alongside John McCain and directly answer questions from the American people, but we hope he’ll reconsider.”

Hot Air has a take on this similar to my own:

This news will surprise no one that has followed the number of gaffes Obama makes when speaking off the cuff. When the press finally got embarrassed by their fawning attitude and asked him tough questions in the Pennsylvania debate, Obama folded like a cheap suit against Hillary — and immediately stopped appearing in debates. He has provided an almost endless series of gaffes when speaking extemporaneously, and obviously wants no part of McCain in this format.

Either way, McCain can use this response to his advantage. He can continue appearing in town-hall forums and openly question why Obama lacks the courage to join him. In the traditional presidential debates, McCain can remind the national audience that Obama needed to hide behind the skirts of the media moderators rather than face voter questions directly. It’s a bonus for McCain in that sense, although he would have preferred getting Obama into his preferred format and watching him get exposed for the inexperienced naïf that Obama clearly is.

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Obama Goes AWOL

Obama is refusing to appear in a Town Hall debate with McCain before a crowd of military service members and their families. The debate was organized by Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, among others. This man is devoid of substance and character.
_____________________________________________________

This from the NYT:

A coalition of military groups is planning a nationally televised town-hall-style meeting with the presidential candidates near Fort Hood, Tex., the largest active-duty military installation in the country. But so far, only Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, has agreed to attend.

CBS has agreed to broadcast the meeting live from 9 to 11 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, Aug. 11. The candidates would face questions directly from an audience of 6,000 people, made up of veterans, service members and military families from the base.

Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has not agreed to participate.

“Senator Obama strongly supports America’s veterans and military families and has worked hard on their behalf in the Senate,” said Phillip Carter, director of Mr. Obama’s veterans effort and an Iraq war veteran. “While we unfortunately had a previously scheduled commitment on the date proposed, Senator Obama looks forward to continuing the dialogue he’s been having throughout the country with veterans on how we can better serve our men and women in uniform as they serve us.”

Carissa Picard, managing director of the Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium, said she had suggested Aug. 11 and asked the campaign to suggest other dates if that was not convenient, but after several conversations she had not been able to work anything out.

“I’m having extreme difficulty getting the Obama campaign to commit to this event, and we do not understand why,” said Ms. Picard, whose husband is deployed in Iraq. “We made it very clear to them that if they would commit to the event, we would work with them on dates.”

The organizers released details about the event in hopes that it would pressure the Obama campaign to agree to the event.

“This was a decision that was made with tremendous difficulty, to publicize it,” Ms. Picard said. “We were at a point where we had no other option. We got the impression that they could talk us to November.”

The meeting would be at the Expo Center in Belton, Tex., about 25 miles from Fort Hood.

. . . “McCain and Obama are asking to be the next commander in chief,” Ms. Picard said. “What’s a more compelling audience than this, the people that you have asked to maintain our security? It would be tremendous for the morale of this community.” . . .

Read the entire article.

Stand Obama in front of a teleprompter, and his speeches are near divine. Stand him up before adoring crowds and his sound bytes are taken as the purest exposition of truth. With a press corps in the tank and questions, even the rare hard one, not asked with the follow up they deserve, he does passably well in highly structured debates. He has yet to be challenged and forced to go beneath his facile responses. He has wholly ducked John McCain's call for a series of ten debates around the country in an open format. And now he refuses to appear before our most patriotic citizens. Obama is not but smoke and mirrors, and his refusal to appear before our military in a debate with McCain speaks volumes about his lack of character and substance.

(Picture of Obama with seal from the extraterrestrials at the Moxargon Group. Do pay them a visit.)

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