Prediction: McCain Will Try To Back Out Of ALL THE DEBATES

[Beetwasher]

He will blame it on Obama's not "cooperating" w/ him now. He will argue (badly) that he wanted to behave in a non-partisan fashion and cooperate to solve the crisis blah, blah, blah, but Obama couldn't get past partisanship. Therefore, he will refuse to have debates w/ Obama.

McCain is imploding spectacularly, and there is no way he will debate now (IMO).

[baldingrockwarlord2]

1. I agree.

I think McCain & Co are reaching for any excuse(s) they can find and will use them to try to cancel any debates. Nothing left but dirty tricks for these dolts. They know they cannot win on the issues.

My tinfoil hat is on real tight these days, but I think the Repukes will engineer something else and declare martial law or suspend the constitution and/or election. It's the only way they will stay in power. And they did not put all those measures in place (patriot act, Presidential directive 51, etc..) without the intention of using them.

I hope for the best, but fear the worst, based on past performance of this cabal.

Someone please, talk me down.

[FormerConservative]

10. Have you heard of the web bot project?

<tin foil hat>

It uses web spidering (think google) and linguistic analysis to make future predictions. It was created, initially, to predict stock movements but - apparently - it started seeming to predict future events with some level of accuracy. This Nostradamus type stuff is always arguably BS due to the fuzziness of predictions.

This project in particular posits that there is a collective human unconsciousness that can be tapped into...that on some level...people at least partially know what's coming. By analyzing the movement in language on the web, they feel you can partially tap into this collective unconsciousness.

They claim to have predicted 9/11 as well as several other events.

I seriously don't normally put *any* stock in this stuff, but earlier this year (like 6+ months ago) the web bot project predicted a major "turning point" on Oct 7 (like 9/11 but with a much, much bigger emotional impact). The first signs of this coming event were supposed to be revealed in the Sep 22 to Sep 27 timeframe. Hmm...has anything interesting happened in this timeframe?

They now believe a massive economic event will happen on Oct 7 followed by a massive military event on Oct 15. Good times, eh?


</tin foil hat>

Can't believe I just posted this; I've joined the tin foil hat brigade! Nah, I still don't really believe in this stuff. The timing of all this does give me pause, however.

Did I talk you down?

[FatDave]

12. Nothing supernatural about the wisdom of crowds.

And predicting a looming financial catastrophe isn't exactly going out on a limb these days.

[FemaleDemfromMass]

2. I agree,

I am guessing that McCain and Palin will not debate. They will find any excuse they can to get out of them.

[abumbyanyothername]

3. Aren't debates traditionally seen as

favoring the candidate trailing in the polls?

McCain may hit the 20's% range for support if he keeps this up.

[Richard Steele]

4. I would not be at all surprised. He knows that NO debate will be to their advantage.

There's simply no way he could be in the same room with Obama
and come out looking like anything but a grumpy, incoherent fool.
And he knows that.

And Palin could lose a debate with a stuffed animal.
They know that as well.

And, after this stunt, there's really nothing that I
would put past them.

[southpaw]

5. I don't think they can ditch all the debates

This was a hail Mary play that didn't work. By now, I'm sure the McCain camp knows that it was a spectacular failure.

He will have to debate, starting tomorrow night, or he may as well concede the election now.

[VWolf]

6. Please let it be the latter

Save us the trouble & expense!

[southpaw]

7. Amen!

[Obamarulz11]

8. I Agree

I predict that 2-3 Southern States will turn blue because of this. Republicans on WSB news here in Atlanta are pissed off at McCain. "He made this election into a joke"-cried one Cobb County republican

[JohnnyRingo]

9. It's possible that after a week of debate school, he's not testing well

His campaign may be worried that he gets frustrated and loses his temper when things didn't go well.

[onenote]

11. I predict your prediction is wrong

In fact, I think its still better than 50/50 that he'll show for the debate tomorrow.

He's totally tanked if he doesn't debate. He may be tanked anyway, and he could blow it all in the debates, but he'll still show because even if there is a 90 percent risk that he'll fuck up in the debates its better than the 100 percent risk posed by not showing up.

[FatDave]

13. I usually try to apply a littl cost vs. benefit analysis to things like this.

The cost of ditching the debates is huge. He looks frightened, weak, and unprepared. He may as well concede the presidency.

The benefit is that he doesn't have to go up against Obama. That is a pretty big benefit, but is it worth the cost? I doubt it.

[rvablue]

14. He might want to, but this is one big reason it will really backfire.

On the news today they were talking about the planning, prepartion and money that goes into these debates.
Millions are spent, universities have to change up tons of stuff, security measures are put into place months in advance.
These schools plan for two years to hold these debates.
He will look so bad and so thoughtless if he bails.
Whatever, let him do it.
And I think it would be kinda cool for Obama to debate Barr because it would end up taking votes away from McCain in the end.

[Strawman]

15. I don't think so

I think he has his talking points now from this stunt and will debate. He has to agree to at least one debate.

Now he can talk in ridiculous generalities about wanting to do away with "politics as usual" blah blah blah.