It's certainly supposed to be. We've had campaigns, debates, ads, speeches, and fundraisers during wars and natural disasters, but we've never had a candidate who didn't think he could handle campaigning during a crisis before.
McCain, in other words, apparently wants to call a time-out. I don't blame him, necessarily, but here's the thing: presidents don't get to call time-outs. They don't get to put some responsibilities on hold while they tend to other responsibilities. They need to be resilient, and put their duties ahead of the distractions and fatigue.
McCain, for lack of a better word, appears terrified this afternoon -- terrified of losing, terrified of the race slipping away, terrified of a debate, terrified of events unfolding beyond his control.
And so, scared, he panicked, and made yet another rash and cynical decision.
John McCain is fundamentally unsuited for the presidency. Why he seems so anxious to remind us of this fact is a mystery.
linkSeptember 24, 2008
IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED.... When the crisis on Wall Street began, and the markets began tanking nine days ago, the very
first message from John McCain was, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." That didn't work, and McCain dropped the line.
His second message was that he wanted to see a commission investigate how and why the crisis happened. That made McCain appear confused, so he dropped that line, too.
His third message was in opposition to the AIG bailout. That didn't last, and McCain took the opposite position 24 hours later.
His fourth message was to fire Christopher Cox from the Securities and Exchange Commission. That turned out to be ridiculous, and McCain dropped the line, too.
His fifth message was to blame lobbyists, influence peddlers, and the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That became problematic given the lobbyists and former Fannie/Freddie officials on McCain's payroll.
McCain has simply gone from one ridiculous notion to another, flailing around, looking desperately for something coherent to say.
Now McCain has come up with yet another stunt: suspend the campaign, delay the debate, and head back to his day job for the first time since April.
It's hard to imagine anyone being so gullible as to find McCain's gimmick credible. Candidates who take the political process seriously don't behave this way.
Leaders don't behave this way.Josh Marshall had
this gem:
"Isn't this the campaign equivalent of faking an injury when you're down late in the 4th quarter?"Why, yes. Yes it is.
more(emphasis added)
Update:
Posted by Max Bergmann
<...>
His leadership of his campaign has been anything but stable. From his choice of a first term Alaskan governor who he didn't even vet, to the total collapse of his campaign in 2007, and to his complete stonewalling of the press, McCain has demonstrated that he is completely unsteady. But it his reaction to international events which really scares me. Pat Barry
presciently wrote yesterday:
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