But will the American people connect the dots?

[garthranzz]

As reported by William Pitt, Obama now leads by 9+% points - enough to survive the surge of stolen votes. The equation people make is easy: business=Republicans=Wall Street=Bush/Cheney=deregulation=McCain=bankruptcy, no loans.

So the call to postpone - or suspend - the debate does the following: reinforces McCain's "maverick" image, reinforces the "country first" me-me, makes him look experienced, bipartisan and statesmanlike, puts him on an equal footing with Bush AND Obama - the presidents three (but who's the odd (Black) man out?). It gives him time to formulate a new strategy. Even pulling his ads, which he's done, makes it look like he's serious. (It also allows his ad campaign to drop the bad and come up with something more relevant, and save money.)

WE know it's a scam, we also know Fixed Noise will play it as "statesman McCain" and snotty little grubby partisan Obama, and the so-called MSM will be in a tizzy, because they can't call McCain a liar any more and how do they write this narrative?

We can be pretty sure that Obama smells the trap and will find a way to insist the debate go on without looking like a grubber. Indeed, "now more than ever the American people need to hear from us," and, as someone pointed out, presidents were able to debate in far worse circumstances.

We also know that the one thing McCain and Bush can't afford is time - time for the complexities to be narrated in a way comprehensible to TV viewers, time to put the brakes on the sellout, time for a Keynes/Galbreath plan to be put in place, rather than a Friedman one (more on that in a moment).

We can hope the American people are mad enough - and, having seen through Palin (she makes McCain's numbers among women worse), they'll see through this.

BUT

WHY?

Why did this "collapse" happen now?

For the answer to that, we turn to NAomi Klein's THE SHOCK DOCTRINE. As she points out, this was supposed to be our version of Shock and Awe, a way of guaranteeing (Paulson's blank check) no regulation, corporate monopolies (absolute privatization) and an end to social programs (no money for them) - Milton Friedman's dream. The threat of a depression was supposed to so panic people they'd cave, and it would explode Obama's domestic program.

It's important for the public not to get sucked into the should we-shouldn't we debate maze, which is a distraction, and a tactic, in this ultimate class war.

The theme of the Shock Doctrine must get out there.

So, while it may not be literally true, perhaps the Democrats need to go from the Main Street argument to this:

The Republican Bailout will be paid for with your Social Security.

If Obama allows this to become "bipartisan" - Friedman, Bush, McCain win. Not that there shouldn't be a solution (for in fact this should be a long term investment for the public, if done right), and a bipartisan one. But for it to be truly so, it has to be done in a calm manner, not a panicked, shoot-from-the-hip (hmm) manner.

[LiberalEsto]

1. Klein did an interview today with Stephanie Miller

on precisely this topic. She was great.

[garthranzz]

3. link? n/t

[LiberalEsto]

6. I heard it on the car radio

I'm not sure, but maybe this is the audio of the interview:

http://www.stephaniemiller.com/bits/2008_0924_klein.mp3

[seabeyond]

2. mccain is not that big a thinker. he doesnt think things thru. not brilliant. he fucked up again.

:)

[garthranzz]

4. 'twasn't McCain's idea

Maybe Rove

Maybe Cheney (hide-and-go-seek)

or others of that ilk

[seabeyond]

5. nah. this is too consistent with his palin pick, waitin for hurricane that didnt come

pissin on larry king (real stupid), hiding palin from media, the obvious in your face lie threads, sheeeit, he isnt even stealing the election very well, again in your face

this is par for his course