I started writing this entry when the news broke of John McCain suspending his campaign and put it into my drafts instead of publishing it, so I guess its a little dated, but I still think its an event worth mentioning and discussing, especially in terms of social psychology.
So what was John McCain thinking? In a surprising turn of events
in a surprising and shocking turn of events, john mccain announced in a press conference that he would be suspending his campaign and return to washington to help with the current economic crisis. However what the media and the public didnt initially realize was that it was democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama who initiated the sequence of events that would turn into a failed bait-and -switch attempt by John McCain. It looked like an attempt for bipartisanship between the candidates to help with the catastrophe that is the American financial system. Barack Obama called Senator McCain at 8:30 am on wednesday to propose that the two candidates attempt to make a joint public statement about the issue since no resolution was coming out of Washington. Obama specifically proposed a joint statement of "shared principles and conditions" for the bailout. However, McCain went out of his way to call for his own press conference and show "his dedication to the American people" by suspending his campaign and postponing the debate until the financial crisis was fully resolved. However, instead of looking like a leader, McCain came off as a bit self centered and presumptious to think that the Republicans and those in Washington "needed" his presence and his vote to figure out this extremely complicated situation that he had NO direct tie or responsibility too. It would have been campaign suicide if he had not gotten out of there and gone to the debate. Thank god that he did.
Stepping back and thinking about this from a different perspective, why would John McCain make such a move? I think that unfortunately (and im sure people will think im just another cynical person and critique in saying this) it was just another political stunt by another politician who was desperate to give his stalling campaign a bit of a push. Since the Sarah Palin honeymoon is dying down and her interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric were claimed to be privately seen as disasters to those involved in the McCain campaign, McCain had to do something. This however, was not a good move. Was McCain trying to show that he was doing what was best for the American people, or did it show that he is not able to hand more than one important situation at one time? I think that with only weeks left of this campaign, not showing up at the debate would have been extremely irresponsible. Whether or not the country is in a financial debacle, McCain also has a responsibility as the possible next president of the United States to talk to the American people in an arena that is a deciding factor for so many of them: the debate. The televised American Presidential and Vice Presidential debates are crucial to those "independent" and "swing" voters as well as important to reinforce the beliefs of those who do have a candidate in mind. I think that McCain assuming that Obama and him should return to Washington was a bad move.
McCain and Obama were going to be an example of successful bipartisanship, however this catastrophe just showed that the ideal of bipartisanship is most definitely flawed, even in this relatively painless and attack-free 2008 campaign. I think that it may raise questions of McCain's ability to make decisions with his erratic behavior as well as his ability to reach "across the aisle" and to gain support from others and work with others.
This turn of events was so dramatic to me and I am glad that it ended in a successful debate, but it also lead to the creation of more negative attack ads and press from both campaigns.
THIS article from TheNation.com questioned McCain's little move on wednesday.... What do you think about this mess?
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I share the exact same sentiments about McCain's actions since the economic crisis began. I absolutely think that his plan backfired, especially considering the fact the the circumstances (Obama's initial attempts to address the issue jointly)surrounding his campaign suspension came out after he already made the decision. I think that this is one of the most interesting things about politics in general. Polls and perceptions change quickely and with every statement or action taken by the candidates. Both McCain's recent strategies and his choice for VP seemed like they were strengthening his campaign at first but as time has gone on I believe that they are beginning to hurt him. Like you said in the post, what was he thinking? How could he have thought that suspending the campaign and bowing out of the debate in the middle of an economic crisis was a good idea? When news first broke I thought this was a noble sentiment but the more I've read the more it seems like a partisan strategy disguised in insincere claims of commitment to the country. In addition to this, Palin is proving to be more of an issue than an asset. For the first few weeks after the RNC I (and many other liberals) were concerned that she could have a great impact on voters but considering her recent blunders in the media her threat seems to have diminished . I would assume that after the debates this Thursday we will have a better idea about whether or not she will truly benefit the campaign. In general, all of this shows the complexity and unpredictability of politics and will lead to even more exciting changes as we get ever closer to election day.
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