EDITORIAL: McCain campaign suspension a political ploy

‘ ‘ ‘ The fundamentals of the economy may be strong, but apparently they’re not strong enough. … ‘ ‘ ‘ The fundamentals of the economy may be strong, but apparently they’re not strong enough. ‘ ‘ ‘ Sen. John McCain announced yesterday that he would suspend his campaign for the week in order to return to Washington and focus on finding a solution for the financial crisis. McCain also suggested delaying Friday’s presidential debate to concentrate on the economy. ‘ ‘ ‘ This is not the first time McCain has made campaign changes to address other issues. Earlier this month, the senator suspended the first day of the Republican National Convention because of troubles caused by Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf. ‘ ‘ ‘ McCain said, according to The New York Times, ‘I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Sen. Barack Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Obama, on the other hand, did not see the need to delay the debate. According to the Times, Obama said, ‘This is exactly the time when people need to hear from the candidates.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The sense of urgency with which McCain is approaching this issue is somewhat unfounded, especially because, for the most part, the financial problem should be dealt with on a long-term basis. ‘ ‘ ‘ With a little more than a month left until Election Day, it is crucial that the candidates keep the campaign momentum going strong. Voter excitement is key in getting an overall high turnout on Nov. 4. ‘ ‘ ‘ But McCain does not seem to understand this. While he claims to be concerned about the state of the economy, we suspect that this is a political maneuver’ ‘ ‘ ‘ to draw attention to McCain’s legislative attributes, to help give him a boost in the ratings and to ultimately help him at the polls on Election Day. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Beyond the political smokescreen, this can only be an effort by McCain to further his image as a maverick, seemingly acting as though his duty to the U.S. economy is greater than his bid for the presidency. In suspending his campaign, McCain, who chaired the Senate Commerce Committee from 2003 to 2005, is likely aiming to portray himself as the most responsible candidate when it comes to the economy. ‘ ‘ ‘ And it’s all very convenient because, for McCain, a suspended campaign and delayed debate would be a win-win situation. It would not only allow him to appear more concerned about the economy than his Democratic counterpart, but it will also give him more time to prepare before facing Obama, who is inarguably the better speaker. ‘ ‘ ‘ Perhaps McCain is dreading a replay of 1960s Kennedy-Nixon presidential debates. This debate not only displayed the dramatic visual contrast between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, but also emphasized the level of preparedness exhibited by each candidate. In the end, Kennedy was the obvious winner, and the polls turned in his favor. ‘ ‘ ‘ As a possible head of state, McCain’s suggestions are worrisome. If McCain cannot handle a few hours of debating while dealing with a financial crisis, how can Americans trust him to deal with the War on Terror, the economy, health care and other problems that come with running the country? McCain should know that, as president, he would not always have the luxury of putting his plans on hold.