Here is Why McCain Wants to Move the Debate

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/17442

Here is Why McCain Wants to Move the Debate

by Cenk Uygur | September 25, 2008

snip//

Now, to the equally important question of why. My first reaction was, "Wow, he's scared!" I couldn't quite believe the move. It shows such fundamental weakness. But that alone could not be the answer. There's no way a major presidential candidate is going to get so intimidated by a debate -- that is already scheduled -- that he is going to try to duck it two days before it happens. That's inconceivable.

Then I realized why they didn't want to have this debate now. The first debate is on foreign policy. Conventional wisdom and the McCain camp believe this is their strong suit. But the news cycle is dominated right now by the economic problems, which plays to Obama's advantage. There was already news out that some of the questions would have to be about the economic situation at hand. And those are the questions that would naturally make the most news.

It's not that the McCain campaign doesn't want to have this debate; it's that they don't want to have it now. They think it is terrible timing for their side. They want people to focus on the foreign policy debate and this would be the worst possible time for that.

I have never been convinced that foreign policy is a strength for John McCain, so I think his calculation is off there. But more importantly, the McCain team has decided that they could play this off as some sort of patriotic act rather than the crass political calculation that it is. If there is any decent press in the country at all, then that calculation should prove to be the worst one yet.

[blondeatlast]

1. Makes perfect sense, especially the last point.

No matter how you look at it, this has maybe been John McCain's worst week ever. I almost feel--no sympathy whatsoever.

[Median Democrat]

2. What? No credit? We At DU Are Ahead Of The Curve

Here is a post making this exact point. I wonder who wrote it...hmm.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7181583&mesg_id=7181583