{"id":12800,"date":"2008-09-24T22:31:11","date_gmt":"2008-09-25T05:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/2008\/09\/24\/dave-does-the-election-5.html"},"modified":"2008-09-24T22:31:11","modified_gmt":"2008-09-25T05:31:11","slug":"dave_does_the_election_5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/09\/24\/dave_does_the_election_5.html","title":{"rendered":"***Dave Does the Election"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Where to begin … where to begin …<\/p>\n

Well, let’s skip talking about Palin (for a few paragraphs), and talk about the crazy-ass “McCain, on the ropes, calls for a time out, but only for really-truly noble reasons” tale.<\/p>\n

Y’know, if McCain had a reputation for nobility, for true bipartisanship, for profound and engaged leadership, especially when it comes to the economy and providing a wise, sane, regulatory oversight of the markets … then this might make sense. “This looks like a job for … SuperJohn!” <\/p>\n

But given that McCain has been absent from voting since April, that he confesses he’s vague on a lot of economic issues, that his campaign guru (Phil Gramm) is a key conspirator in removing the regulatory dampers that would have prevented this melt-down … and that “the only thing that’s changed in the last 48 hours is the polls” … this particular tactic can only be interpreted as a desperate attempt to (a) save advertising money, (b) disrupt the steady Obama surge in the polls, (c) try to come off as super-leadery, (d) duck out of a debate that would demonstrate how shaky (“Zapatero!”) his foreign policy knowledge is.<\/p>\n

At least a few of the commentators out there are aware of this less-than-noble motivation. Whether it’s noting that taking one’s ball and going home<\/a> is hardly a mark of a leader, that the Real World doesn’t allow Presidents to declare “time out,”<\/a> or wondering what else McCain would put off in case of a crisis<\/a>, the idea that we cannot have both campaign engagement and debate and <\/em>deal with economic and political issues at the same time holds no water. After all, even Bush managed to wage a War on Terror while fending off Kerry four years ago.<\/p>\n

Indeed, it appears that the Democrats are not taking the bait<\/a>, and are still considering the campaign, and debate, to be “on.” Not because it will help help Ole Miss<\/a> (You spent millions of dollars to host this? Idiots!), but because if you let your opponent dictate the ground of battle an the initiative, you’re seriously Sun Tzcrewed.<\/p>\n

Actually, I think we’ve learned the real reason for the debate delay. The McCain camp now seems to be suggesting that it can be put off until 2 October, which had been the date of the VP debate, which they suggest can be scheduled for some time in the (distant) future<\/a>. If I were Sarah Palin I would throw up my hands in disgust, accuse the McCain campaign of sexism and anti-Pentecostalism for keeping her under wraps<\/a> (despite claims that it’s allowing “America to vet her<\/a>“), and retire back to Alaska to bask in the glory of the Right for the next few decades — because she’s damn-sure not going to end this campaign covered in glory.<\/p>\n

Not that one can necessarily expect televised debates to actually be meaningful<\/a>. But it’s at least symbolically <\/em>important.<\/p>\n

Speaking of Palin — if you’re still confused about where she’s cooperating and where she’s stonewalling, the answer is simple:<\/a> if the investigators are part of a bi-partisan effort that she originally agreed to (as opposed to an investigation by folks she personally appointed), then it’s stonewall-fodder. <\/p>\n

Oh well, John, don’t worry — I’m sure you will still have the support of your key demographic.<\/a> Even if it’s tough to figure out how how McCain remains a maverick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As opposed to Biden who’s outspoken gaffes make him a true maverick (if not loose cannon). Regardless, he’s doing a fine job providing an informed critique of McCain’s foreign policy competency<\/a>. Go, Joe!<\/p>\n

On the Obama side of the campaign, he’s facing an amazing series of smears, from (yet again) arguments why he’s not a real<\/em> Christian<\/a> (by which definition, neither am I, for what it’s worth), to accusations of not being black but being (yes, it’s Rush) Arab<\/a> (it’s foreign, deceptive, and Muslim!<\/em> Eek!), to whatever feeble innuendo<\/a> can be dredged up from his past. And, of course, he’s laboring under the disadvantage of not having a president manipulating war news in his favor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, it makes sense that Obama is scaling back his 50-State strategy<\/a> — the grass roots are either established or foolhardy at the moment. There are plenty of other ways to wisely spend money.<\/p>\n

And, I’m gratified in the way, after an earlier report<\/a> of the less-than-edifying participation in the \u201cFaith, Family, Values Tour,\u201d the Obama campaign has actually figured, no, that’s not a very good idea<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And so it goes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where to begin … where to begin … Well, let’s skip talking about Palin (for a few paragraphs), and talk about the crazy-ass “McCain, on the ropes, calls for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-elections-2008"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12786,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/09\/26\/obama_v_mccain_fight.html","url_meta":{"origin":12800,"position":0},"title":"Obama v. McCain …. Fight!","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 26-Sep-08 8:39pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Liveblogging the first presidential debate. Will McCain's folksiness triumph? Will Obama's oratory shine through?\u00a0 C-SPAN ... but it's actually C-SPAN2? Gah! MSNBC. Entrance. Smiles, everyone. Eisenhower -- security and solvency....","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":134832,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2017\/09\/22\/aint-til-fat-lady-doesnt-worry-medicaid-cut-off.html","url_meta":{"origin":12800,"position":1},"title":"It ain’t over ’til the Fat Lady doesn’t worry about her Medicaid being cut off","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 22-Sep-17 2:24pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, it's great that John McCain seems to have thrown a wrench into the Graham-Cassidy Repeal-and-not-really-Replace mess. But three things to consider: There's still a week-plus before the end of the reconciliation period. Plenty of time for someone to cut some deals to get McCain, or Paul, or any other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mccain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12832,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/09\/19\/poll_positions_2.html","url_meta":{"origin":12800,"position":2},"title":"Poll positions","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 19-Sep-08 7:54pm","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been staying away from the polls for a bit, given the lag effect of the RNC. Things are supposedly trending back \"good,\" but remain tight. ElectionProjection.com: Obama 273, McCain...","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12864,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/09\/16\/john_john_john.html","url_meta":{"origin":12800,"position":3},"title":"John, John, John …","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 16-Sep-08 11:20am","format":false,"excerpt":"In reading this op-ed by a notable past McCain supporter, Richard Cohen, the following two paragraphs struck hard. Richard Cohen - The Ugly New McCain - washingtonpost.com\u00a0 I am...","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/images\/John_McCain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13723,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/10\/12\/i_admire_sen_obama_and_hi.html","url_meta":{"origin":12800,"position":4},"title":"“I admire Sen. 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Well, first,...","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/images\/voting-butterfly.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12800\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}