Obama Opens Up a 9-Point Lead

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly


On that note, this piece from Keeper of the Conservative Flame George Will in yesterday's WP on-line, in which he all but endorses . . . Obama

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/22/AR2008092202583_pf.html

Hard to know if Will speaks for anyone other than himself, but given his stature among conservatives of a certain stripe (High Tory), it's still pretty damning.

Actually I think this is Will all but endorsing... a third party candidate (write in Will?)

[Ramo]

Yet Another McCain Gambit Thought
It occurs to me that McCain's gambit is likely to delay the bailout negotiations, not speed them up. Why? Because now, if the administration and Congressional Republicans can't make a deal without undercutting McCain's claim that the negotiations are failing and a campaign suspension is needed to rescure them. All the reporting I've seen suggests a deal was in the works. Now it's going to be in limbo, unless Republicans are willing to kneecap their own candidate.

--Jonathan Chait

[Imran Siddiqui]

Regardless of what side of the aisle you are on, one must say that McCain being the Republican nominee definitely makes the race far more interesting than any other Republican running for President. Not necessarily because McCain is running closer than any other Republican who was running, but could you imagine Romney or Huckabee doing this?

It probably is more political than not (though McCain may actually believe they need him down there in Washington), but it could be a great political move. We'll have to see.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Regardless of what side of the aisle you are on, one must say that McCain being the Republican nominee definitely makes the race far more interesting than any other Republican running for President. Not necessarily because McCain is running closer than any other Republican who was running, but could you imagine Romney or Huckabee doing this?

Any Republican candidate other than McCain would have been flattened.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Of course, but even then, they wouldn't have been as bold and it would have been a

[Ramo]

I honestly was really looking forward to Friday's debate. So I'm not particularly glad that he went with a cheap stunt over the debate ('course, if he caves, that doesn't really matter)...

[asleepathewheel]

Mccain will go to the debate and make a big deal about how he would rather be working to solve the problems rather than just talk about it, but Obama blah blah blah. Cake+eat it.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It isn't like the debate wasn't going to happen. McCain considers his foreign policy knowledge a strength over Obama (whether you agree doesn't matter, this is what the campaign believes is his strength). So it will happen. One thing I've read is that Friday night, 2 months before the election, keeps this a bit out of the public eye, so it may have been an attempt to move it to a weeknight when people won't be out and perhaps closer to the election.

[Ramo]

Mccain will go to the debate and make a big deal about how he would rather be working to solve the problems rather than just talk about it, but Obama blah blah blah.

Which no one would take the least bit seriously.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Ramo

Mccain will go to the debate and make a big deal about how he would rather be working to solve the problems rather than just talk about it, but Obama blah blah blah.

Which no one would take the least bit seriously.

You know that's not true.

[Ramo]

As TEF posted:

SurveyUSA. 9/24. Adults. MoE 3.2% (No trend lines)

The first debate between John McCain and Barack Obama is scheduled to take place in two days. Should the debate be held as scheduled? Should the debate be held, but the format changed to focus on the economy? Or, should the debate be postponed?

Hold as scheduled 50
Hold with focus on economy 36
Postpone 10

[The Emperor Fabulous]

So now McCain wants the debate to be Oct. 2nd...the date of the VP Debate. They want to delay TWO debates.

How much you wanna bet, that if this happens, the VP debate conveniently isn't rescheduled.

[Kidlicious]

McCain appears chicken ****.

[DaShi]

Wow, McCain used his tough guy attitude to attract a lot of conservatives, but this makes him look really weak.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Earlier this week:

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/12288264/c_12287342?f=home_todayinfinance

Fearing a political backlash against Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has told the White House that it must serve up support from Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) if it hopes to ensure bipartisan backing for a massive economic bailout package by week's end.

McCain holds the key to such a bipartisan vote, according to Reid, because Republicans are likely to defer to his position on a bill that holds political peril. McCain on Tuesday night joined Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) in lending qualified support for the $700 billion package, but it remains unclear whether his backing is strong enough and timely enough to persuade the Congressional rank and file. According to a Democratic aide familiar with the discussions, Reid told Paulson this week that "if McCain didn't come out for this thing and come out for it quickly, it was going to begin bleeding Republican votes." Democrats "have a very real concern that opposition [from McCain] is going to drive away potential Republican votes," this aide said.

So perhaps McCain is needed back in Washington, according to Harry Reid at least.