I tried. I really tried. I was trying to take a break from the political stuff. I posted about my back and 30 Rock and Clay Aiken and tried to give myself a break from the stress and anxiety this election is causing me. And then today, John McCain made it impossible for me to ignore the campaign by "suspending" his campaign to help focus on the financial crisis.Give me a freakin' break.
First of all, this smells so foul I'm surprised I haven't passed out from the fumes. This is voter manipulation at its finest -- creating the illusion that he's concerned and putting the people above the campaign but it's really just a ploy to seem sympathetic and win votes. You know it is! On top of it, he's calling for a delay to Friday night's debate, denying people of one of the few opportunities to see the candidates and compare them side-by-side. At a time when the American people need most to hear from these candidates, one of them wants to go and hide.
And isn't it ironic that he wants to suspend his campaign when polls are showing Obama starting to pull ahead. (One poll I heard this morning on NPR shows Obama up by 9 points)
Plus, in all honesty, what does McCain think he's going to do? Ride into Washington and wave his magic wand (not raising it above his head, of course) and voila! No financial crisis. Yes, I know he's become the de facto party leader (Sorry, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- you are worthless now!), but still. What does he really expect to accomplish outside of feigning concern? This is a man who admitted he wasn't as well versed in the economy as foreign policy, so is he really the person to be leading this debate anyway?
I hate that I've become so cynical that I never once considered whether McCain's move here is sincere. Politics have burned me, and I've lost my trust, particularly of McCain whose campaign has been full of these deceitful moments of utter trickery -- from the nasty little ads to Sarah Palin. Here's hoping that the American public sees through this and doesn't reward him for this by handing him the White House in November. THAT would be the real trickery.
3 comments:
AMEN Sister! This is a new twist in Distraction Politics ... abortion, gay marriage and all those other wedge issues aren't large enough to make us forget what party bosses our current douchebag in charge bows down to
Honey, I tried to break free, too, but it sucked me back in. This latest move of McCain's sets a new low for inappropriate political maneuvering, with a reckless disregard for anyone else affected. For one thing, what is he going to contribute on Capitol Hill? He just stopped singing his "deregulation is good" theme song about half a week ago, after practicing it for 26 years. Secondly, the American people want to hear what the candidates have to say on the issues; if he wants to postpone the debates, it tells me he doesn't have anything to say and he doesn't care about giving voters real information. And finally, Ole Miss stands to lose $5.5 million if the debate doesn't go forward. That may be a minor point, but I think it is hugely disrespectful to the hosts of the debate to try to duck out two days before an event that has been in the works for a year and a half (especially when he had a whole week to check in with Washington if he really thought it was that bad).
... and how 'bout President Bush addressing the nation hours later to remind us how very important our economic troubles really are? Can you say... campaigning for McCain, boys and girls?
I can't wait to hear your take on the debate.
...Ride into Washington and wave his magic wand (not raising it above his head, of course)... SO WRONG!
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