John McCain: Leader–Barack Obama: Thoughtful
Today, another definitive difference of character and leadership aptitude emerged today between John McCain and Barack Obama. John McCain not only asked to postpone his debate with Barack Obama on Friday, but simultaneously suspended his presidential campaign. McCain, being consistent with his remarks about…”he would rather lose the presidential campaign, than lose a war”, chose to return to the Senate and participate in the negotiations with the Wall Street crisis–or do the job he was elected to do. McCain stated, “America this week faces a historic crisis in our financial system. If we do not act, every corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen.”
Obama, who is considered thoughtful when at a loss for intelligent articulation, quickly rejected the idea of abandoning the debate. This highlights the discriminating difference between a leader and a follower. Obama said it was “more important than ever” for the candidates to tell voters how they would deal with the crisis, this being Obama’s solutions for future crises–talk about the issues rather than dealing with the issues. Obama can talk all he wants, but the bottom line is, McCain is doing something.
To compound Obama’s flippant disposition about the silly idea of putting country first, he once again was put in the awkward position of having to make a statement without the assistance of script or teleprompter. Obama stated, “This is exactly the time when people need to hear from the candidates, and part of the president’s job is to deal with more than one thing at once.” Crisis be damned–let’s debate. Perhaps Obama, since he has spent three quarters of his time in the Senate campaigning for the presidency, has forgotten that he is still a Senator and has responsibilities–even if it is just showing up for his obligatory vote of present. In regard to a president dealing with more than one thing at a time, Obama demonstrates a life experience deficiency. Yes, a leader deals with more than one thing at a time, but they also know how to prioritize. The economic health of this nation, or a silly presidential debate, which, incidentally, has taken a back seat to the Wall Street crisis this past week. Perhaps this decision was as gut wrenching as the decision that Obama made against the Iraq war–while not being in the Senate, nonetheless. Also, Obama stated that if they needed him, they could call him. Perhaps he could vote present over the telephone, or better yet, McCain could deliver Obama’s present vote by proxy.
Obama also has a lot invested in this debate. He has been studying real hard, and has been on the receiving end of tutoring on foreign policy, practicing his left wing talking points, just to debate John McCain on Friday. All that foreign policy training he has received in the past couple of days may go to waste, if the debate does not go on as planned. This is what Obama believes the American people want–a debate, or perhaps it would be more sensible to have a solution this week.
McCain also suspended the first day of the Republican National Convention when Hurricane Gustav was set to hit the U.S. coast on the opening day of the convention. Neither hell nor high water would have kept Obama from ascending onto his fake Greek stage during the Democrat National convention.
Obama still plans on having the debate, and seems to have the debate commission on his side. It very well could be an interesting debate, especially if John McCain does not show up and, maybe–just maybe– Obama will debate Joe Biden. It seems that after this week, Obama and Biden have more differences than Obama and McCain. That would make for a very interesting and heated debate–especially if they debate the merits of FDR addressing the nation, as Mayor of New York, on television, when the stock market crashed in ‘29.
Just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned, Obama wants to fiddle around with a debate while Wall Street burns.
Comments (4)
Obama is a wild combination : Hamlet cum Dorian Gray.
Jim, good observation, and as usual, a good post on the distinctions between those with character, and those sans. Obama has been planning his “speechifing” with McCain in the debates, and you are so right in that he can’t stand the idea that his agenda is being thrown offtrack. The idea that he can balance multiple issues, while McCain cannot multi-task is laughable. But in the instance that “the debate” is a matter of national importance is even more laughable, particularly when economists are saying that not addressing this issue could create another Great Depression. Yes Obamation, the debate certainly supercedes anything as trivial as another potential Great Depression Vol II! Because when you are “GOD”, there is nothing more important, than your minions and plebes hearing your pontifications. Perhaps a better title to your blog might have been “God Still Wants the Debate – Be There”?
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What’s your position now that we’ve seen the 2, um, “candidates” speak in run-ons for 90 minutes? Mine is that we’re effed if we do, effed if we don’t. Just trying to figure out now which of these 2 effers will hurt the least, or at least kiss me first.