# McCain suspends campaign, asks Obama to do the same. What?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 24, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040 "2008-09-24T19:04:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/161 "2008-09-24T21:49:55Z")
This is good tactics for McCain in at least one respect. Debates are largely about expectations, and if he shows up without having spent the previous day prepping, his expectations will be lower. ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/162 "2008-09-24T21:49:56Z")
I listened to Mc Cain’s speech. It’s an obvious political ploy. Of course he drug out 911 too. Expect to see the senate singing Hey Big Spender holding hands on the Capital Steps soon. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/163 "2008-09-24T21:50:40Z")
McCain will show up. His people will complain about Obama being a partisan and whatever, but nobody’s going to give a shit. If he’s still off the trail tomorrow and this makes the front pages and the top of the news, people are just going to scratch their heads and wonder what the fuck he’s doing. There’s no way this helps him, and the undecided voters out there aren’t going to give him credit for a good deed because _they_ figured out that this was serious last week. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/164 "2008-09-24T21:52:04Z")
Thanks for the correction, **Richard Parker**! To quote from one of my favorite patriots: “I was misinformed.” ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/165 "2008-09-24T21:52:59Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Damn. The statement about doing more than one thing at once is really good. I said that to my girlfriend on the phone, but forgot and didn’t post it here. Oh well. Really can either candidate say they can handle two things at once? Serious question do they still get paid to not do the job they got elected to do? [http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/110/repstats/images/people/votes-300071.png](http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/110/repstats/images/people/votes-300071.png) McCain Time Period Number of Votes Missed Votes Percent 2006-Q4 16 8 50% 2007-Q1 126 42 33.3% 2007-Q2 112 81 72.3% 2007-Q3 119 59 49.6% 2007-Q4 85 65 76.5% 2008-Q1 85 50 58.8% 2008-Q2 77 76 98.7% 2008-Q3 39 39 100% [http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/110/repstats/images/people/votes-400629.png](http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/110/repstats/images/people/votes-400629.png) Obama Time Period Number of Votes Missed Votes Percent 2006-Q4 16 0 0% 2007-Q1 126 3 2.4% 2007-Q2 112 20 17.9% 2007-Q3 119 67 56.3% 2007-Q4 85 76 89.4% 2008-Q1 85 31 36.5% 2008-Q2 77 65 84.4% 2008-Q3 39 33 84.6% ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/166 "2008-09-24T21:54:51Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > I don’t really give a flying leap what the debate on Friday is supposed to be about or what they agreed to, I do care that they both get on the darn podium and let someone ask them some clear questions to answer. If that someone does not ask them something about what is happening with the economy as the very first question, we should string him up on a pole and give him or her 100 lashes. Yeah just what we need another talking head **talking** about what should be done. Soundbites, this is the change they have been talking about eh? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/167 "2008-09-24T21:54:55Z")
It’s probably better if Presidential candidates avoid voting in the Senate. Otherwise bills get filled with poison pills and attempted political traps. That happens anyway, of course, but the ability to just skip the vote and blame it on the campaign probably keeps that stuff to a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/168 "2008-09-24T21:55:33Z")
At any rate, [the debate organizers are going ahead as scheduled.](http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hEa4qb29NybP8i29CMrGOEqBdjow) ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/169 "2008-09-24T21:55:40Z")
> [@RyJae](#): > > Damn right, that’s what I want too see. Not just a bunch of words, but them to actually show the ability to work across party lines both so proudly spout off about. They had their opportunity to do so. The Obama campaign actually tried to get them to issue a joint statement — McCain campaign rejected it and tried to one-up it. It was just political dickwaggery. The McCain people didn’t want to admit, “Well, Obama reached across the aisle to us and made us a great offer… it was really statesmanlike how he offered to hammer out an agreement between us. We should’ve thought of it, really.” No, they had to mouth off: “We made a bigger BETTER offer. AND it had nothing to do with weaseling out of a debate we’re not prepared for. No, no, no, WE’RE the ones who reach across the aisle and work with the opponents if you ignore the fact that we rejected a perfectly good offer from the other people.” ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/170 "2008-09-24T21:56:52Z")
> [@RyJae](#): > > Really can either candidate say they can handle two things at once? Serious question do they still get paid to not do the job they got elected to do? You really think they can help anything at all by turning something this important into another political battle? the best thing either of them can do is stay the hell out of the way. Obama realizes this, McCain just saw another opportunity to make himself look good. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/171 "2008-09-24T21:56:55Z")
> [@RyJae](#): > > Yeah just what we need another talking head **talking** about what should be done. In politics, talking and doing are pretty much the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/172 "2008-09-24T21:57:40Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > McCain will show up. His people will complain about Obama being a partisan and whatever, but nobody’s going to give a shit. If he’s still off the trail tomorrow and this makes the front pages and the top of the news, people are just going to scratch their heads and wonder what the fuck he’s doing. There’s no way this helps him, and the undecided voters out there aren’t going to give him credit for a good deed because _they_ figured out that this was serious last week. Well theres that… and theres [this](http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aak7pl0EplDU&refer=home). I think when Obama consistantly stayed away from Palin and kept hitting the real issue of the Economy 3 weeks ago, that is what is paying dividends now. He’s a smart dude. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/173 "2008-09-24T21:57:55Z")
> [@RyJae](#): > > I think the debates Friday are supposed to be about foreign policy, not economics. If the bailout is a priority now, then instead of postponing the debate, then the subject needs to be changed. I would rather see how a candidate is preparing to lead in a time of need and to give us confidence that this crisis can be solved. What McCain has done in his suspension stunt is to put more fear in the air regarding the economical situation. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/174 "2008-09-24T21:58:28Z")
Snap [poll](http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportUC.aspx?g=54d651a7-a62b-4420-bb32-9dd6b2df8c02) on the issue. Looks good for Obama, for whatever it might be worth. ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/175 "2008-09-24T22:01:16Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > They had their opportunity to do so. The Obama campaign actually tried to get them to issue a joint statement — McCain campaign rejected it and tried to one-up it. It was just political dickwaggery. > > The McCain people didn’t want to admit, “Well, Obama reached across the aise to us and made us a great offer… it was really statesmanlike how he offered to hammer out an agreement between us. We should’ve thought of it, really.” > > No, they had to mouth off: “We made a bigger BETTER offer. AND it had nothing to do with weaseling out of a debate we’re not prepared for. No, no, no, WE’RE the ones who reach across the aisle and work with the opponents if you ignore the fact that we rejected a perfectly good offer from the other people.” Then Obama should have came out and said “I’m glad John brought to you, the people, what I called him about this morning trying to hammer out the current crisis. His grandstanding on this important issue should be embarrassing but I am more than willing to fulfill my promise to the American people and my current constituency to arrive at DC to help lead my party to the best package to help you all” He slammed McCain for an obvious campaign ploy, at the same time showing he is willing to actually you know lead himself. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/176 "2008-09-24T22:01:35Z")
> [@RyJae](#): > > Yeah just what we need another talking head **talking** about what should be done. > > Soundbites, this is the change they have been talking about eh? Unh huh, sure is for them and the country. For me, I want them on the gottdarn podium on Friday in front of the Country talking about it, not in Washington acting like they’re talking about it. What exactly can McCain do in Washington as a member of the minority party? _ **WHAT?** _ ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/177 "2008-09-24T22:10:02Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > Unh huh, sure is for them and the country. For me, I want them on the gottdarn podium on Friday in front of the Country talking about it, not in Washington acting like they’re talking about it. > > What exactly can McCain do in Washington as a member of the minority party? _ **WHAT?** _ I follow the candidates, I follow the actions, and if the words follow the actions. They can say “I don’t want this package to pass” sitting in Florida and when it passes and people get pissed off down the road when it helps nothing. They can say “Look I said I didn’t want it to pass” but they didn’t go and LEAD the party, and go across the aisle to the otherside to make it not pass. Of course goes both ways, they can say I want it to pass with these conditions or whatever. They are acting like politicians in a campaign where they both insisted they’re all about change. I called bullshit, and I stand by that call. All about protecting themselves, neither of them give a flying fuck about what you’re going through as a everyday American. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/178 "2008-09-24T22:27:40Z")
I think this is going well for McCain. According to [Obama](http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/obama_dismisses_mccains_call_f.php): > [@TPM](#): > > Obama also said that he was blindsided by McCain’s public call for a debates suspension. After describing their conversation about a possible suspension, Obama said: “I thought that this was something that he was mulling over. Apparently this was something that he was more decisive about in his own mind.” > > Obama described their conversation as follows: “I proposed putting out the joint statement. He concurred with that. he then also said, ‘I would like us to look at suspending the campaign and pushing the debates off.’ I said, ‘let’s put out the joint statement first, and then get our campaigns to discuss this.’” Obama said he later saw McCain announcing his plans on television. Yep, that looks like the even-tempered, Presidential McCain we know and love. Not like McCain to go off half-cocked. In the time after Obama’s call, McCain was [meeting](http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/A_nonemergency_meeting.html) with ex-Hillary Clinton supporter Lady Lynn de Rothschild. I suppose he could have been discussing the economy with her, although one would have expected that his economic advisors would have been more helpful at this time of impending apocalypse. And McCain’s spot on Letterman will be [taken](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/24/john-mccain-cancels-lette_n_128998.html) by… Keith Olberman, speaking to a now-perturbed Letterman. Well played, Senator McCain. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/179 "2008-09-24T22:27:41Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Both candidates wanted the debate changed. [Cite.](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us/politics/21debate.html) Where does it say that? Don’t make us read the entire article searching for your cite. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040/180 "2008-09-24T22:29:16Z")
> [@RyJae](#): > > I follow the candidates, I follow the actions, and if the words follow the actions. They can say “I don’t want this package to pass” sitting in Florida and when it passes and people get pissed off down the road when it helps nothing. They can say “Look I said I didn’t want it to pass” but they didn’t go and LEAD the party, and go across the aisle to the otherside to make it not pass. Of course goes both ways, they can say I want it to pass with these conditions or whatever. > > They are acting like politicians in a campaign where they both insisted they’re all about change. I called bullshit, and I stand by that call. All about protecting themselves, neither of them give a flying fuck about what you’re going through as a everyday American. I however do not forget that 2% more Americans decided to keep the same bullshit leadership that once again is pumping up the fear and demanding quick action like they did in Iraq. We are in this situation because politicians can count on many deciding to ignore a basic duty they have as a citizen: to demand accountability. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-suspends-campaign-asks-obama-to-do-the-same-what/465040.md?page=10)