The more I think about McCain’s decision to call on Obama to join him in Washington to play a role in the process of coming up with a bipartisan solution, the more I see it as a good move.
McCain and Obama are U.S. Senators. This is a financial crisis. They each have huge influence on their parties. If there are any two people who can make this process move as fast as possible, it is John McCain and Barack Obama.
According to Barack Obama’s talking points, presidential politics shouldn’t be “injected” into this situation. The problem with that claim is that regardless of the outcome of this debate in Washington, D.C. in simple terms, either John McCain or Barack Obama will have to deal with the situation in a different capacity come January. Should they be a part of the debate? Absolutely.
The fact that Obama plans to stay in D.C. tonight puts him in the tough spot tomorrow. Will he leave with this situation unresolved, or will he stay and be a part of the process?
Barack Obama didn’t want to go on the record on this issue. If he leaves before this situation is resolved, it will be a huge political blunder for him.
UPDATE: Political strategist Margaret Hoover:
This round goes to McCain.
If we are really facing a “once in a century crisis”; if financial institutions will begin to fail at the beginning of next week should Congress not act; if this is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, a legitimate economic calamity; then McCain’s decision to suspend his Presidential campaign, halt fundraising activities, freeze political advertising, is spot on.
At a moment when Paulson and Washington are asking for carte blanche to spend $700+ billion of our money bailing out Wall Street’s fat cats and bad habits, McCain throws himself in front of the bus.
It’s the economy stupid. At this moment, nothing else is more important.
Unless you’re Obama.
UPDATE: McCain’s gamble pays off.
UPDATE: Dick Morris:
FACING a postconvention fall in the polls, John McCain once again reshaped the dimensions of the race by suspending his campaign and calling for postponement of tomorrow’s debate.
This bold move could have an impact on the race akin to McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. Defensively, McCain had to act to stop the fall in his poll numbers.
Offensively, he has placed himself at the epicenter of the only issue on the national agenda – proactive action to stop a total international financial collapse.
Obama’s response to McCain’s initiative is lame. As with his initial reaction to Sarah Palin, Obama has miscalculated. While he tries to spin McCain’s move as a mere response to his initiative, it was the Republican who first issued the call for a suspension of the campaigns.
Both McCain and Obama will now go to Washington. McCain on his own initiative. Obama as a result of the president’s call for an economic summit.
But it is McCain who will play the proactive role. Obama will come to Washington, but will keep one foot outside the Beltway.
Even though the president has called both candidates to Washington to save the country, Obama continues to campaign. Politics as usual.
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