# McCain doesn't have have a plan for the economy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 18, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206 "2008-09-18T20:48:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lili\_Von\_Shtupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@Lili\_Von\_Shtupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lili_Von_Shtupp)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/1 "2008-09-18T20:48:31Z")
> [@](#): > > CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (CNN) – John McCain attacked Democrat Barack Obama Thursday over his handling of the financial crisis, criticizing the Illinois senator and his party’s congressional leadership for delaying a solution until after the election. The criticism comes just two days after his own domestic policy adviser said a complete plan from the Republican presidential nominee would not be revealed until he was in the White House. > > Watch: McCain says Obama never took a position on the important issues > > “Congressional leaders who give Senator Obama his marching orders are now saying incredibly that this mess isn’t their fault, and they aren’t going to take any action on this crisis until after the election,” McCain said at an Iowa campaign stop. > > \*\*But on Tuesday, when asked how much worse the economy would have to get before the campaign released a specific plan, McCain senior adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin said that it wasn’t “imperative” for an “exact” plan to be drawn up yet. > > “I think the moment when we write down a specific plan is the moment we send legislation from a McCain administration to Congress. That’s the moment when that happens,” he said\*\*. [Link](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/18/mccain-goes-on-the-attack-over-economy/) Can someone please explain to me how McCain can NOT have some sort of plan as to what he intends to do about the economy? I will be the first to admit that I’m not the brightest when it comes to politics, but seriously? Are we supposed to just take him at his word that “change is coming” and he’s going to be the reformer of Washington? Shouldn’t he have SOMETHING in mind as to how how he plans on handling the financial crisis this country is in if he is to become the next POTUS? Seriously? Please, someone help me out with this one because I am honestly baffled. BTW, if this doesn’t belong in Great Debates I’ll understnad if it’s moved. I just would really, really like to know how it can be that someone that is running for the highest office in the freaking world can NOT have a plan ready to go if he becomes elected. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/2 "2008-09-18T21:13:51Z")
[cheap shot] He had a plan, but he left it in his cell at the Hanoi Hilton. [/cheap shot] I can understand how someone could be a little light on the specifics of his plan, but he needs to hit the ground running on Jan 20th, and to get to the point where it’s his plan that’s being implemented McCain has to convince voters his plan is the best. While McCain has admitted that economics is not his strong suit, the whole point of having a staff is so that you can have people who know economics inside and out and who can write down a rough plan that he can read and won’t put his listeners to sleep. Deregulation or reregulation or whatever he’s calling for today is just a sound bite. He and his have to expand on it some. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/3 "2008-09-18T21:40:58Z")
You are confusing two issues. McCain is criticizing Obama in his current role as a Senator for not doing anything in Congress right now. Basically, he’s accusing the Democratic congress and Obama of delaying action until Obama gets elected. If that happens, they’ll be able to pass legislation more in tune with what they want. If they try now, they’ll have to compromise more. Neither candidate actually has a detailed plan about what they will do as President, and probably won’t until they actually appoint their cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/4 "2008-09-18T21:44:15Z")
I’d be leery about asking Obama what his is, anyway. It could take a while and I only had three cups of coffee today. ETA: Er, not that it would have all that many specifics, but that never stopped a good Democrat from going on and on. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/5 "2008-09-18T21:55:39Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I’d be leery about asking Obama what his is, anyway. [It’s on his website](http://www.barackobama.com/plan). ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/6 "2008-09-18T22:00:12Z")
McCain’s doesn’t have specific plans, but he has a Vision: same as the Bush Vision, the rich get richer and the poor (and middle class) get poorer. But in the meantime, in between time, ain’t we got fun? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/7 "2008-09-18T22:03:59Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > [cheap shot] He had a plan, but he left it in his cell at the Hanoi Hilton. [/cheap shot] > > I can understand how someone could be a little light on the specifics of his plan, but he needs to hit the ground running on Jan 20th, and to get to the point where it’s his plan that’s being implemented McCain has to convince voters his plan is the best. While McCain has admitted that economics is not his strong suit, the whole point of having a staff is so that you can have people who know economics inside and out and who can write down a rough plan that he can read and won’t put his listeners to sleep. Deregulation or reregulation or whatever he’s calling for today is just a sound bite. He and his have to expand on it some. His eco adviser is Gramm who helped make this mess possible. McCain has said many times he is for -de regulation. What is happening is due to policies he was for. Now he has to find a new policy. It will take awhile for him to come up with a palatable policy and to pretend it was what he wanted all along. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/8 "2008-09-18T22:05:07Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > His eco adviser is Gramm who helped make this mess possible. McCain has said many times he is for -de regulation. What is happening is due to policies he was for. Now he has to find a new policy. It will take awhile for him to come up with a palatable policy and to pretend it was what he wanted all along. At least until he gets elected - then he can stop pretending. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/9 "2008-09-18T22:05:57Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > [It’s on his website](http://www.barackobama.com/plan). That’s basically the same boiler plate stuff that McCain current has on his website: [http://www.johnmccain.com/Issues/jobsforamerica/](http://www.johnmccain.com/Issues/jobsforamerica/) The OP is critizing for lack of specifics. ---
**Author:** ![Lili\_Von\_Shtupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@Lili\_Von\_Shtupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lili_Von_Shtupp)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/10 "2008-09-18T22:17:34Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s on his website. That’s great, and I’ll be sure to check that out, but I’d like to know why the heck he’s not talking about it on the stump. His own advisors are now on record stating that they don’t feel it’s “imperative” to have an “exact” plan until he’s already in the White House. Now, I don’t expect him to talk for hours about every single little detail of his plan at some rally in Bu Fu Egypt, but give us something. Anything. Please. Enough with the I’m the P.O.W. Maverick that’s gonna go into Washington with my reform badge blazing, ready to kick some lobbyist ass. I want to hear it from the man himself. I want some specifics on exactly how he intends to do all of these great things he says he’s going to do. Is that too much to ask? ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/11 "2008-09-18T22:32:41Z")
> [@Lili Von Shtupp](#): > > That’s great, and I’ll be sure to check that out, but I’d like to know why the heck he’s not talking about it on the stump. It’s Obama’s plan that I linked to, actually. And I’d argue that it’s more in-depth (not to mention more user-friendly) than any information I can find on McCain’s site. Obama’s, if you click on any of the “read more” links, lays out, IMO, enough specifics and then shows relavent bits of his record for each major issue. McCain’s briefing paper is posted on his site here as [15-page PDF](http://www.johnmccain.com/Images/Issues/JobsforAmerica/briefing.pdf). ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/12 "2008-09-18T22:32:44Z")
> [@Lili\_Von\_Shtupp](#): > > I want some specifics on exactly how he intends to do all of these great things he says he’s going to do. Is that too much to ask? He has given the same level of detail as Obama has, each on their respective websites. You are never going to give details on a stump speech unless you want your listeners to yawn and fall asleep. Obama, being a better orator, IMHO, actually gives _less_ details, while implying more. Its one of his strengths. And just to reiterate, neither campaign has a specific plan for the _current_ crisis, and it would be stupid for either one to release a ‘plan’ for it. McCain is criticizing the Democratic leadership that currently controls Congress for delaying until it has more power. Obama is part of that Democratic leadership. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/13 "2008-09-18T22:46:35Z")
Well, here’s a nice forty minute speech Obama just gave on 9/16/08 entitled: [“Confronting an Economic Crisis.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlZt5iN96iM) Check it out and let me know where the equivalent McCain speech can be found because my Google-fu isn’t locating it. I’m sure it’s out there, though, and I’m sure it’s chock full of even more specific plans to fix the economic crisis that the incredibly prescient McCain obviously saw coming long before the rest of the idiots in the presidential race. Ample evidence of said [prescience can be seen here](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26764294#26764294) in all its glory–skip ahead to about the 3:00 mark if you want the most applicable portions. I bet McCain can appoint a bangup commission to figure it all out, though! Shouldn’t take more than six months or so to get preliminary results on what happened, and maybe a year or so later we’ll have a spiffing plan to get us all on track! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/14 "2008-09-18T22:46:54Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > And just to reiterate, neither campaign has a specific plan for the _current_ crisis, and it would be stupid for either one to release a ‘plan’ for it. I’m starting to wonder whether it would be possible to **have** a plan for it, one that would actually fix the mess if implemented. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/15 "2008-09-18T22:48:57Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > [It’s on his website](http://www.barackobama.com/plan). Oooh! Bullet points! There’s more than three, though, so my boss would still get lost. Doesn’t matter. He’s a rightwinger who has a hardon for Palin. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/16 "2008-09-18T22:53:07Z")
[A sophisticated plan:](http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/mccain-blasts-o.html) > [@](#): > > Campaigning together in Iowa today McCain and Sarah Palin accused the Obama campaign of taking political advantage of the recent economic crisis. > > “My opponent sees an economic crisis as a political opportunity instead of an opportunity to lead,” McCain said. > > Said Palin of Obama: “He likes to point the finger of blame, but does he ever lift a finger to help?” Then there’s his SEC gaffe: > [@](#): > > Republican John McCain slammed the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) for being “asleep at the switch” saying that if he were president, he would fire Chris Cox, the chairman of the SEC since 2005 and a former Republican congressman. > > McCain said the SEC has allowed trading practices such as short selling to stay in place that turned the “markets into a casino.” > > “The regulators were asleep, my friends,” McCain said. “The chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president. And in my view has betrayed the public trust. If I were president today, I would fire him.” > > But while the president nominates and the Senate confirms the SEC chair, a commissioner of an independent regulatory commission cannot be removed by the president. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/17 "2008-09-19T15:53:24Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > McCain is criticizing the Democratic leadership that currently controls Congress for delaying until it has more power. Obama is part of that Democratic leadership. Funny, it seems to me there was mention in the news at one point about another, more senior member of the Senate who was running for president as well…one who claimed to be able to cross party lines and change the way Washington works and get things done. Someone who claimed to be both a leader AND a maverick at the same time…I wonder why HE isn’t there getting things fixed right now either? gee, i wish I could remember who that was… ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/18 "2008-09-19T16:38:45Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Funny, it seems to me there was mention in the news at one point about another, more senior member of the Senate who was running for president as well…one who claimed to be able to cross party lines and change the way Washington works and get things done. Someone who claimed to be both a leader AND a maverick at the same time…I wonder why HE isn’t there getting things fixed right now either? > > gee, i wish I could remember who that was… Here’s a hint: He was the former chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, so he obviously knows a lot about the regulatory changes that led to this mess. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/19 "2008-09-19T17:08:13Z")
> [@CJJ](#): > > Here’s a hint: He was the former chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, so he obviously knows a lot about the regulatory changes that led to this mess. You mean like this? > [@John McCain](#): > > I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole. To bad it got stonewalled by the Chris Dodd. Besides, since Franklin Raines (former CEO of Freddie Mac, $100M ) surely has some insight on the company, I’d think Obama would already have the inside scoop. That’s what financial advisors are for, right? ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206/20 "2008-09-19T18:43:50Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > Besides, since Franklin Raines (former CEO of Freddie Mac, $100M ) surely has some insight on the company, I’d think Obama would already have the inside scoop. That’s what financial advisors are for, right? :dubious: While that’s indeed what advisors are for, perhaps you should do a little more research: > [@](#): > > Statement from Frank Raines on the ad: “I am not an advisor to Barack Obama, nor have I provided his campaign with advice on housing or economic matters.” > “This is another flat-out lie from a dishonorable campaign that is increasingly incapable of telling the truth. Frank Raines has never advised Senator Obama about anything – ever” said Obama-Biden campaign spokesman Bill Burton. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-doesnt-have-have-a-plan-for-the-economy/464206.md?page=2)