Tonight is the Beginning of the End.

[tekisui]

McPOW is in a no-win situation. He MUST debate now. Obama has been guaranteed the show will go on with or without mcTantrum. If he doesn't show, it will be the nail in his coffin.

A petulant, cantankerous old man, scared to debate. Then, will come a week of speculation: Does he have health concerns? Does he know he is losing? What is wrong with mcPOW and Phalin?

He will show, he is being forced to. And, when he does, everyone will be reminded that his fit was nothing more than just that. A hissy fit. All throttle and no plane. Like a kid playing with a video game. Erratic and reactionary.

The turning point started when Obama proved that he is the calm and collected leader, ready to take on the issues as they arise compared with a hotheaded goon. Tonight will accelerate the trend.

mcPOW will enter the downward spiral of his sixth plane crash.

Obama will rise all the way to the White House.

[teenagebambam]

1. From your mouth to God's ear

[msongs]

2. obama should get a physical next week and make a big deal of it :-) nt

[bunnies]

3. If theres no deal and he debates anyway...

he has to go back on his word that he wouldnt. Its a no win situation for him. HA!

[jojo54]

4. Exactly!!

Tee, hee, hee.

[SIMPLYB1980]

5. That's what I see to.

[Shine]

6. Yup, I totally agree

:toast:

[Brotherjohn]

7. To put it more simply, the turning point was when Obama called his bluff. (nt)

[tekisui]

8. I think that's right.

Obama was serious.

mcPOW was pitiful.

Interestingly, Obama is the one who called mcPOW and suggested a joint statement on the seriousness of this bailout package. mcPOW called back and suggested they suspend the election and the campaigning. Before Obama had a chance to respond, mcPOW was on the teevee talking shit.

Obama clearly had had enough.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. And if you notice the pattern

McLame has continually been trying to pull Obama off the campaign trail - whether through the stupid "10 Town Halls" or now the expectation that Obama would "suspend" his own campaigning to address a faux crises ("faux" in terms of how hysterical they were making it, although it is a serious crises), and this regardless of the fact that neither are on committees that would directly relate to the issues at hand.

It's the Charlie Black strategy (that was apparently recommended to Hillary to use as well).

[Brotherjohn]

14. I think after their 2:30 call, McCain couldn't bear to let Obama get some of the "bipartisan" appeal

... which he considers his own, so he panicked and made a very partisan (unilateral) move in an attempt to look like HE was the one being bipartisan.

Dumb move. It's as Letterman said (about 10 times): "But you don't suspend your campaign, do you?!"

[hamsterjill]

9. Yes it was!

McCain expected Obama to go right along with him. The best line that Obama could possibly have delivered (and obviously DID deliver) was the one where he said that a President should be able to do more than one thing at a time.

Simple words, but massively big concept that most people can relate to.

[Egnever]

10. Yup. I will be amazed if McCain doesnt lose it live onstage for all to see tonight.

if tonight doesnt finish him the VP debates will be the final nail. I think tonight is likely to do it though as the topic will be the economy despite the previously scheduled topic.

[asjr]

12. McCain is a charlatan and the media

either doesn't know it or doesn't care.

[Solomon]

13. I loved the way Obama called him out.

He has to show, or leave town.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIH0GROsw5Q

[polmaven]

15. Thing is.....

The topic of this debate is foreign policy, not the economy.

But now that I'm writing this, with world markets falling into turmoil, there is a link to be made between foreign policy and all of this. Markets around the world slid because of what went on at the White House last evening, owing in large measure to McCain's political antics.

Oh, I really can hardly WAIT for this debate....Senator Obama will chew him up and spit him out!

[tekisui]

16. 8 hours to the big show.

For the next 4 weeks, the weekly news cycles will be about the debates.