Maybe I don’t get it, but I am a little frustrated by what I think of McCain’s failure to take over this whole situation. First, since the D’s won’t do anything without R cover, and since the Congress is now afraid not to act, McCain and his fellow Republicans can dictate the terms of the deal (within reason) — make it a workout, not a bailout, as so many have been saying. Second, to my mind, he should have either 1) blown off the debate, or 2) demanded a change in subject, to domestic. Again, he controls: no McCain, no debate. He gets to dictate the terms.
I don’t understand why he isn’t doing any of this. Using the powers given him by the situation.
Also — while I’m on my annoyance dial — the mishandling & mis-using of Sarah Palin is grating. Jeepers. Why (to take one small item) — why put her into one on ones with people who hate her guts and wanna play gotcha? Let her raise money and stir crowds. What does she need any of the Katies or Charlies or any of the MSM for? No matter how well she does, they will not change their rants. They will still hate her in the morning. They NEED to destroy her. Please — use her better — crowds & fundraising!
Ah well.
Unfortunately, anything McCain does is going to be drowned out by the media and put down by the majority in Congress - who happen to be Democrats.
I saw a comment on another thread that asked why should RENTERS pay for a house that some unqualified buyers “bought” but couldn’t afford. And now the RENTERS, in essence, are asked to bail out these “homeowners”. I thought that was a good question.
There can be only one answer. Republican functionaries still believe that the msm provides maximum exposure to the American public, and that exposure is worth the risk of a misstep or gaffe. This is obsolete thinking, with the media being no more than a 'rat echo chamber. It may have made sense a generation ago when there was still a vestige of integrity in some of the media at least. But those days are long gone and we all may pay a dear price for the republicans' failure of discernment.
Please explain the mechanism by which they could accomplish this.
McCain was often skeptical of his own party members, and of their intentions. Sometimes he had reason to be. On other occasions, he allowed his new-found media "friends" to feed his ego, and chose to casually believe his publicity rather than carefully examine his policy positions. Consequently, McCain adopted the mantle of "maverick", and genuinely enjoyed needling his fellow Republicans, to the phony adulation of the press corps.
That was then.
Now, John McCain is slowly, and I think, surely, figuring out who his real friends are - and what his enemies intend for him. And, having had the guts to select Sarah Palin as his running mate, he now needs to take on the media jihad against her, and defend her, his judgment, and his core beliefs. I hope he finds the strength to do so.
Anyone who lasted seven long years in the Hanoi Hilton ought to be capable of that task.