# I call bullshit on John McCain's purely political "suspension" tactic. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 24, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046 "2008-09-24T19:32:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/201 "2008-09-26T01:15:56Z")
Ok, so I was at work all day and am unable to access the internet or TV there. Let me see if I’m up to speed here: McPalin announces s/he will suspend their campaign and the debate until the financial crisis is resolved (or until Monday, whichever comes first). Obama says, okay, fine, but I’m talking to someone on Friday. Let’s hope it’s you. Meanwhile,[del] back at the ranch[/del] back in DC, congresscritters are working hard to come up with a workable solutions that is not carte blanche to people who have already shown if not a propensity for fraud, at least gross incompetence. Head Congresscritter types say “stay away”. This is ignored by W and he asks both candidates to come over for a cup of Joe or woe or both and dish. They agree. Now, come to find out that 1. Congress actually CAN function if given strict deadlines, fear of being ousted and a villian everyone can agree on; 2. no suspension of any campaigning occurred at all except in McPalin’s head; and 3. Obama will now capitalize on McPalin’s moronic decision and make hay in the reddest of red states. That about right? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/202 "2008-09-26T01:22:30Z")
Close, but you missed one important element: For five and a half years, McCain was a POW, unable to participate at all in the resuscitation of a great nation’s ailing economy. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/203 "2008-09-26T01:28:05Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Well, what do you expect. It takes time for all those letters telling them to stop to get to the campaign headquarters. Now, if there was only some way to communicate with them nearly instantaneously … Well to be fair, they did make the attempt, but the campaign accidentally sent the “stop campaign” message to the press again instead. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/204 "2008-09-26T01:29:44Z")
It looks like McCain’s presence has actually fucked everything up. Plus, his solution is tax cuts and some kind of insurance and… less regulation? WTF? WHO IS STILL SUPPORTING THIS LUNATIC? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/205 "2008-09-26T01:36:10Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Why the hell would we want Palin to step down? Every time that hillbilly opens her mouth, it’s pennies from Heaven for Obama supporters. Palin stepping down would be the equivalent of political surrender. She hurts the campaign being it in, but would kill it by dropping. Right now I’d say Obama is 70% likely to win the election, if I had to pick a number. If Palin were to be dropped it would 100% and the only question would be if McCain would win any states besides Utah and Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/206 "2008-09-26T01:50:17Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Palin stepping down would be the equivalent of political surrender. She hurts the campaign being it in, but would kill it by dropping. Other option: she drops out because of “new” family responsabilities - ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/207 "2008-09-26T01:52:56Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Close, but you missed one important element: > > For five and a half years, McCain was a POW, unable to participate at all in the resuscitation of a great nation’s ailing economy. And never forget that he didn’t have a chair! Ah, but for 26 years he fought bravely to make sure that this shit would someday hit the fan. And now he wants to clean up the mess. (swab the deck?) Yep–I seem to have missed the whole falling apart of the deal making. When I was in the car at 6 pm, Dodd was saying that he wouldn’t give details, but they had worked something out and would submit it to the Treasury. Now that’s off? You know the saddest thing? I can watch the news and try to get some sense of it, or I can watch the Daily Show and get it in the first 2 minutes of the show… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/208 "2008-09-26T02:19:15Z")
> [@wring](#): > > Ok - except that in that sense, McCain’s been in major fuck up mode for the past year and yet won his party’s nomination. Well, yes, but in the debate he’s out there on stage and none of his handlers can come out and issue a “clarification” on the spot. If someone really sticks his foot in it, the whole room – the moderator, the opposition and the audience, will be sitting there with their mouths agape in stunned silence. This is a scenario not out of the question for either McCain or Palin. They are pretty dim bulbs who don’t always understand what comes out of their own mouths. To be fair to McCain, he wasn’t always like this, but I think he’s turned into a genuine old crank who can’t hold his focus very well. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/209 "2008-09-26T02:21:55Z")
I have a personal interest in the Presidential debate held in Oxford, MS, because it was my hometown for 13 years. ( great place, but don’t tell anyone) Of course, my first thoughts were that the town had invested a lot of effort in hosting the debate. It’s an intellegent town, two -term mayored by the owner of the local bookstore, best independent bookstore ever, chock full of readings and good thought. This last minute switch really affects that town, [as said here](http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/09/the_flyover_vie_2.html). Honestly, that’s a lot of effort by a small town to make the debate happen, and Senator McCain has chosen to bail on it. Thanks for the hardship! It may well affect his rating in Mississippi. After the Katrina mess, even though a traditionally red state, the abondonment issues wear a bit thin. And, if voter regisration is making progress there, Obama’s appeareance in a state with a large African-American population, and history of issues, is going to make some waves. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/210 "2008-09-26T02:34:30Z")
My favorite part of that Huffington Post article about how McCain’s campaign is still going on: > [@](#): > > In Ashland County, Ohio, a McCain worker named Ken confirmed, “We’re still campaigning for him.” He added, “I’m taking off in two hours. A Japanese couple will be watching the shop after, but they’re very anglocized.” WTF is _that_ supposed to mean? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/211 "2008-09-26T02:40:16Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > The economic meltdown could not have come at a worse time for Maverick Johnny Mac. His whole schtick is conservatism, fiscal responsiblity, accountablity, all that high-falutin’ stuff the GOP systematically shat on for the past decade. What’s he left to argue with? Argue? Having watched the Bush presidency with considerable interest, it seems to me Republicans don’t have to defend their views. Wave a big enough flag and brandish a big enough cross and you’re in. McCain got his flag in Vietnam and his cross in Alaska. The last presidential election made it perfectly clear that results don’t count; what counts are bright, shiny objects and easily understood things (I think I read that here, actually). > [@](#): > > I’m not suprised he _wants_ to dodge the debate; I am floored that he’s stupid enough to actually try it. Or arrogant enough, perhaps. But look at how many people still defend those two clowns, and are prepared to vote for them. Scarier than hell, actually. I imagine he’s thinking that if Bush managed to get re-elected despite being a massive failure in all ways, there’s nothing McCain could do to turn off the right. He could eat a live baby on TV and Fox would spend weeks defending him on the grounds that he’s trying to deal with overpopulation. And I think McCain’s right. This election will go to the Republicans because most Americans don’t want results. They want a president who makes them feel good about being American. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/212 "2008-09-26T02:43:11Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > WTF is _that_ supposed to mean? They aren’t going to sell used schoolgirl panties or harpoon any whales. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/213 "2008-09-26T03:00:28Z")
They spent five and a half years as prisoners of the British. No _futon_, no _tatami_, no _wasabi_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/214 "2008-09-26T03:03:03Z")
And they don’t have really big eyes anymore. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/215 "2008-09-26T03:16:11Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] They are pretty dim bulbs who don’t always understand what comes out of their own mouths. To be fair to McCain, he wasn’t always like this, but I think he’s turned into a genuine old crank who can’t hold his focus very well. [/QUOTE] McCain has always had a problem holding his temper. It’s one of the reasons I had reservations about his suitability for the job, way before he turned his campaign over to professional slime machines. He’s old, he’s tired and he’s under a helluva lot of stress. I think there’s a good possibility from him to lose his cool and not in a good way. Reagan’s famous “I paid for this microphone!” outburst was pure political theater but it played neatly as resolve, passion, etc. It was also calculated to the nth degree to do exactly that. Reagan was a professional actor who could read and play a crowd. McCain isn’t. When he gets mad, he just gets _mad_. Actually, he’d have fared better in the long run to stay pissed as hell at Shrub for swiftboating him. _That_ kind of outrage and anger could have come across as Trumanesque, the stuff of real mavericks. Now McCain is just older, more tired and has his lips attached to too many of the wrong backsides. His anger comes across as peevish, a loss of control, weak, not a strength. Palin, designated backup, is a pure disaster. Her interviews have been disasters. The woman _cannot_ think on her feet, and she’s woefully unprepared. She just flat-out ignorant about too many crucial things, and can’t fake her way through. I just read a funny headline, about Palin granting “a rare open interview with reporters.” (So unprecedented in presidential campaigns! Usually any poor schlub possessed of a microphone is fair game to be ruthlessly hunted, dragged back and proudly spat out at the candidates’ feet by their handlers.) She answered _four questions_ at the ground zero site–and pointed observations were made that all of her answers lacked anything more specific than condemning terrorism. Now _there’s_ a risky stance. The debates will be interesting as hell, no matter what.\* I really, really hope Obama shows up as scheduled. All those people who worked so hard for so long, in good faith, to host the debate deserve a hell of a lot more than being stood up in a faked ‘suspension’ in campaigning. \*Icing on the cake is Biden’s propensity for occasional foot-in-mouth gaffes too. He’s a seasoned pro, though, and probably won’t pull one in a debate setting. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/216 "2008-09-26T03:27:39Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > WTF? WHO IS STILL SUPPORTING THIS LUNATIC? 44% of the nation last poll.:rolleyes: Gore Vidal: “Fifty percent of the nation’s citizens admit they never read a newspaper. Fifty percent state they have never voted in a presidential election. Let us pray that it is the same fifty percent.” But alas, tis not. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/217 "2008-09-26T03:30:08Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > McCain has always had a problem holding his temper. I was thinking earlier that if he _does_ go to Mississippi then this will be the ultimate anger management test. He’s tired, traveled thousands and thousands of miles in the last week, has been drug through the mud in the press- if he’s ever going to lose his temper tomorrow’s the night (though I seriously doubt he’ll change his mind and go). ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/218 "2008-09-26T03:48:16Z")
He’s going to have to call some kind of meeting together so he looks busy. He’s going to look like a fool if he’s shown just doddering around town instead of showing up to the debate. Of course nobody’s really going to be fooled by his fake close-door meeting into the wee hours. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/219 "2008-09-26T04:10:26Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > (So unprecedented in presidential campaigns! Usually any poor schlub possessed of a microphone is fair game to be ruthlessly hunted, dragged back and proudly spat out at the candidates’ feet by their handlers.) Great writing deserves recognition. This is beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046/220 "2008-09-26T08:45:31Z")
> [@Thom\_Yorke\_s\_Left\_Eye](#): > > Whoaaa. How did Trig Palin learn to use a computer so quickly? Hey! That’s _not_ a fair jab at all! Trig’s problems are _genetic_, whilst Clothahump’s appear to be voluntary and self-inflicted. **cricetus** , you forgot the moment of the Bush/Clinton debate that left _everyone_ (and I was watching the debate with a mixed group of Bush and Clinton supporters) wondering WTF Bush was doing: When he _checked_ his watch. Even he now admits that was a bad move. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-call-bullshit-on-john-mccains-purely-political-suspension-tactic/465046.md?page=12)