Debating Debating

By Sarah Scully on 09/24/2008

[Updated]
The McCain campaign is now proposing that the Mississippi debate be canceled and instead the St. Louis VP debate be used in its place with Biden and Palin rescheduling for a later date... Hmmm. This is either a rather sensible solution or a really convenient way of giving Sarah Palin more prep time. That is not to say that she particularly needs more prep time but this is the cynical assumption made by many who, in lieu of any evidence to contradict it (or any interaction at all) assume that Palin is cramming like crazy for her first big national battle with a man who has shown that he is more than comfortable in the spotlight.

The real question is whether McCain and Obama can continue to run their very partisan campaigns while also negotiating legislation that will require a serious bipartisan effort.

Either way, I just got off the phone with some rather upset Mississippians. "Do you know how much money and time went into planning this debate?! They better not cancel."
____________________________________________________________________________________
McCain's call to postpone the debate has been rejected but the statement alone may be enough to change the conversation. Can McCain leverage Obama's response against him, showing he puts his ambition first versus putting Country First? Or, will Obama use this as an opportunity to persuade voters that McCain is playing politics and/or avoiding answering real questions?
Everyone seems to hold a slightly different opinion on this one- some say brilliant political move while others say desperate and still others say it is an act of simple leadership. A variety of takes may be found on
Politico's new forum, The Arena.

What is your opinion? C'mon, it'll take you only a few moments to post it on our site and we do not require that you be an elected official or fancy magazine editor!