The McCain Campaign Suspension That Wasn't

On Wednesday, Presidential candidate John McCain announced:

Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.

I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved.I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.

However, that same evening, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis held a New York fundraising dinner on behalf of the campaign. Sarah Palin, rather than rushing to Washington to support McCain's supposed efforts to save the nation from imminent economic disaster, made a surprise appearance at a star-studded charity event, on the arm of Rupert Murdoch.

As of Thursday, McCain campaign attack ads criticizing Obama continue to run in key battleground states, including my own state of Missouri. McCain campaign offices across the country remain open and running. McCain's website donation link is still up and functioning. 

And McCain campaign surrogates like Nancy Pfotenhauer and Tucker Bounds continue to make the rounds on cable news shows on behalf of the campaign, attacking Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Think Progress posted this video compilation of several post- "Suspension" campaign surrogate appearances:

Just what part of his campaign has John McCain suspended, again?

Maybe his fans' disbelief . . .

Meanwhile, John McCain was apparently not involved in the negotiations in Congress Thursday afternoon that lead to a tentative preliminary agreement between Democrats and Republicans on the basic principles needed in an economic rescue deal.

However, McCain's presence at Congressional economic policy meetings later Thursday evening did not seem to have a calming effect on his party. Negotiations over the proposed economic bailout broke down this evening, as House Republicans have staged a revolt against the plan proposed by the Republican administration and proposed their own plan.

If you want tomorrow's Presidential Debate to proceed as scheduled, Demand the Debate here.

Jaelithe also writes at The State of Discontent.

Comments

[Gunfighter]

The McCain campaign's "suspension" is just another political stunt. A see-through stunt, at that.

I don't think it is going to work for him.

[Mommy Jane]

Hello, McCain? You won't be able to take a "break" and figure things out if, God Forbid, you become PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's called MULTI-TASKING! Something everyone else in the Universe, but you, appears to know how to...

http://fourgetaboutit.blogspot.com/

[michael]

I'm still wondering what impact his suspension will have on the polls.
If it is to regain what he has lost in the polls over the last couple weeks, I'm not sure if this is the right move.
We need more than ever to find out how the candidates will resolve "crisis" like this, when elected president.
One of them is going to be president!
I hope they go through with the debate this evening.
And I am interested in how the debate is going to affect the polls.
I use a widget to keep track of the progression of polls. The widget shows the election polls by strength of states.
In addition to other different graphical visualizations of data, this one displays the progression of votes over time.
Hereby you can see how/if the states have moved!

It gives a great overview and it is updated as the polls come in!

http://www.youcalc.com/apps/1221747067033

... and its easy to put on your blog and fits in your sidebar!

Make a difference, keep on voting!

[rebecca]

So let's just break this down:
- McCain says he's going to suspend his campaign to focus on the economic crisis.
- But his campaign actually continues on, as described above.
- He cancels his scheduled interview with Letterman, 'because he needs to get back to Washington', but then sits down with Katie Couric in NY at the same time was supposed to be taping Letterman.
- He doesn't even make it back to Washington for the negotiations on Thursday.
- All hell breaks loose in Washington Thursday evening, and he was apparently present for that.
- Now, nothing's yet been resolved in Washington.
- And now he says he's going to participate in the debate tonight.

Oh my god, the circles.

This is the Straight Talk Express HOW exactly??

[blogversary]

McCain has changed his mind about things along the way, but this is not a normal crisis. McCain is taking one moment at a time. When did it become a bad thing to change one's mind? Obama did not attend the SNL taping the weekend after Hurricane Ike.

McCain did suspend parts of his campaign. I don't recall hearing or reading that he was going to suspend all apsects.

[cynematic]

The only thing he's suspended are delicate negotiations that appeared to be proceeding just fine until he appeared, belatedly and irrelevantly, on the scene.

Way to torpedo the negotiations and accomplish diddly-squat, drama queen McCain.