Yes, and postponing, not canceling, will still give us exactly that.  McCain still wants to have all the debates.  It's Obama who nixed 7 of them.

************

If you can't learn all you need to know in 3 debates about the candidates then there is little hope for you. Why would there need to be 10?

It's amazing how people replied and totally ignored:

1.  McCain will be doing what he was elected to do and serve the people in a time of Crisis.
2.  Obama will have several additional days of campaigning that McCain won't have.
3.  Obama would have more time to prepare for the foreign policy debate, the debate he was expected to do the worst with.
4.  McCain knows that some people will think it's a political move and think less of him for it.

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What the hell, I'll bite.

Point 1:What is McCain going to do exactly? He's not on the committee that is hashing out the deal. How exactly is he going to serve? Just by being there? Except for casting his vote once the deal is done, he serves no purpose.

Point 2:Do you really think this makes a bit of difference?

Point 3:No matter what you can say about Obama, he's not stupid. I'm sure since the debate is tomorrow, he's already well prepared. A few extra days won't help him.

Point 4:That's because it is and I do.

Hillary picked up the ball from the last time it was used - in the 2004 campaign, when it was thrown at John Kerry.  And that was a repeat of 2000 campaign when it was lobbed at Al Gore. 

I was called an eletist on this very forum back in 2004.

Sure, you could argue that Hillary first lobbed that ball this time, but that's like saying Sam over there lobbed it the first time this week or something.  It's been a Republican code word for the last three elections.

Remember, Obama had a good answer for that yesterday - as he noted - he and McCain both have big fancy jets and permission to take off and land.  They need to get to DC for the vote, it won't take them long.

Everything else is just posturing.

Scott came back with: "It's amazing how people replied and totally ignored:" etc.

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Didn't so much ignore what you had said previously, just quoted what you had written at the end of your post in summation.

Odd that you think McCain is being so altruistic. If Obama had done this I would have thought it an odd political move too.

As I had implied but will now state, *everything* a politician does at this point of the Race is a political move. That goes for my man Obama too.

Scott: do you honestly think that McCain is doing this thinking that it might *hurt* him politically?

It's amazing how people replied and totally ignored:

I don't think the points were totally ignored Howard addressed the first point and your summation after the bullet points sort of (to my read at least) repeat or restated point 4.  But to each point:  

1.  McCain will be doing what he was elected to do and serve the people in a time of Crisis.

He can't do both?  Why not?

2.  Obama will have several additional days of campaigning that McCain won't have.

Because McCain chose to give him that time, Scott.  I thought yesterday it was a clever idea but I was wrong, I think he may have given the election away. I don't think he needed to suspend his ads or have his staffers take the week off.  Shoot if he felt all his attention was needed in DC he could have sent Palin off to continue campaigning.  I think he miscalculated, but, of course, there is still time to make up for the mistake.

3.  Obama would have more time to prepare for the foreign policy debate, the debate he was expected to do the worst with.

I don't think the foreign policy debate is necessarily a weakness for Obama.  The war is unpopular and all Obama has to do is say it diverting dollars away from rebuilding our infrastructure.  Tom Friedman addressed it better than I ever could in yesterday's New York Times.

4.  McCain knows that some people will think it's a political move and think less of him for it.

And others will laud him for it.  Its the risk McCain chose to run either way.  But I don't think its paid off for him the way he expected it to.  I personally do think it was a political move (which candidly doesn't bother me).

<<Yes, and postponing, not canceling, will still give us exactly that.  McCain still wants to have all the debates.  It's Obama who nixed 7 of them.>>

I have read much from both sides about what they wanted--town hall style/versus tradditional debates-- all of which is part of the political wrangling of both campaigns. Even now-- as evidenced by the above comments-- McCain gets to say, "See! We wanted more." I cannot presume to know where the truth lies within political campaigning. Again, I would prefer if WE(the People) got to call the shots. Canndidates don't get to chooose the battlegrounds ala Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Debates should be REQUIRED and standardized, so that we get to hear what these guys really think about issues important to all of us. I'm a big fan of the Lincoln/Douglas style of debating.

Howard

One of the funniest clips explaining why "Hey he's an average guy like me" works.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184096 &title=Sarah-Palin-Is-Real

Diverting dollars! $700 billion bailout. $1 billion every day for Iraq.

I know Michael, like me, is a Friedman fan.

<And others will laud him for it.  Its the risk McCain chose to run either way.  But I don't think its paid off for him the way he expected it to.  I personally do think it was a political move (which candidly doesn't bother me).>

McCain has certainly proven himself willing to take risks. Choosing Plain as a running mate was a RISK... apparently not of his own choosing... and it seems to have paid off. I agree, this current move is a risk. It remains to be seen as to how successful it is.

As I write this I realize that I am not sure I want the guy in the Oval office to be a RISK TAKER. I heard someone say THAT was exactly the problem with Wall Street. All these guys are rewarded to take High Risks if they succeed, and are not penalized if they fail. So, all they did was keep taking risks... and now we are footing the bill.

Howard

Choosing Plain as a running made was a RISK

We all talk about Obama picking Biden as a mistake, what if McCain had chosen Mike Bloomberg* instead?  Where would he be in the polls now?

*Assuming Blommy would have taken the gig.