It’s one thing to hide Sarah Palin from the media and, thus, the American people. But John McCain, who is plummenting in the polls, was clearly using the financial meltdown as an excuse to skip the first debate with Barack Obama.
Yes, the financial crisis is staggering and yes, it deserves keen attention from our leaders. President George Bush addressed the nation Wednesday and both candidates have offered their ideas for recovery. Both also went to the White House on Thursday to weigh in on this crisis.
But it is absurd for McCain to use the Wall Street bailout as an excuse to bail out of the first presidential debate. Being president requires the ability to juggle several different balls. You can go to Washington on Thursday and debate Friday night in Oxford, Miss.
Since 1987, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has organized these forums and says tonight’s debate remains scheduled. The commission “is moving forward with its plan for the first presidential debate at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., this Friday, September 26,” the organization said in a statement released Wednesday. “The plans for this forum have been underway for more than a year and a half. The CPD’s mission is to provide a forum in which the American public has an opportunity to hear the leading candidates for the president of the United States debate the critical issues facing the nation. We believe the public will be well served by having all of the debates go forward as scheduled.”
McCain’s candidacy will be irreparably damaged if Obama winds up debating an empty chair.
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