September 24th, 2008
04:43 PM ET
15 years ago
Obama 'inclined' to debate
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/24/art.debate.gi.jpg caption="Obama wants to press on with the debate."](CNN) - Barack Obama is 'inclined" to go ahead with the debate Friday night, campaign sources tell CNN.
McCain said Wednesday the debate should be postponed if the economic bailout has not passed congress by that time.
Obama is expected to make a statement around 4:30 p.m. ET.
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I say still have the debate. We really need the debate now because we can see where everybody is coming from. It took all these years to get in this mess it will take time to get out. Mccain is using this to try and show leadership on the economy. If the economy was not the number one issue now he would want the debate. I say Obama should hold a press conference telling the people that we need the debate and it is no telling when a decision could be made. The election would be over with if we listen to Mccain!!!
ARE YOU KIDDING?? WITH ONLY 40 SOME ODD DAYS TO THIS ELECTION, AND MCCAIN WANTS TO POSTPONE THE DEBATES?? JUST ANOTHER PLOY BY THE REPUBLICANS TO GET OUT OF A DEBATE THAT WE ALL KNOW BARACK WILL WIPE HIM UP IN. DOES THIS MEAN THAT POOR SARAH WILL BACK OUT TOO?? WHAT A JOKE, MCCAIN HAS HAD THE LAST 25 YEARS TO DO SOMETHING, WHERE HAS HE BEEN??
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I say move on with the Debate. Mcain is looking to make himselve look good. A president is suppose to be able to multi-task and if he can't then he's not ready to govern this great country.
We the American public is looking forwar to these debates and Obama should not fall for this Sham(the republicans are good in this kind of gimmicks)
CNN PLS POST
Go Obama Go don't let them try and side step the debate and distract the voters.
Barack Obama has what it takes to be President. A President has to be able to handle many issues and crisis at one time. He will not be able to pick and choose what crisis he will handle first. He will need to wake at 3:00am for that call that cannot wait until morning. He must, at a moments notice, make rational decisions that are critical to the country and the world.
Barack Obama has the tenacity to work to his full capacity to make this a better country.
Barack Obama IS our CHAMPION! AND he will continue to be when he is our PRESIDENT!!
John McCain is getting his DUFF kicked and now, out of concern for the country, he is suspending his campaign? Give me a break! He wants to cancel the debate and focus all his attention on the ecomony. McCain, the one who admitted he knows nothing about the economy!
Barack Obama's poll numbers are gaining daily and he is surging in all polls because people have confidence that he does know how run Washington and the country. He has McCain running scared.
McCain is a coward. He cannot stand up to Obama and he knows that his attempt at looking "presidential" is the only chance he has.
MCCAIN IS A COWARD!
ONE MORE REASON WHY I AM VOTING OBAMA/BIDEN '08
Lord Jesus, Protect and Guide Barack Obama, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to Victory come November so we can change America and the World for the better.
Thank you Jesus...
Obama MUST go on with this. Why not change the topic of discussion to the economy and we'll see how McCain holds up. He will get flamed by the opposing side but this debate is too important to just postpone. The market will continue to suffer whether or not they have debates so McCain's attempt to get out of getting reamed on live TV will be futile.
go obama. this is all politics, mccain is loosing and trying a trick. we are not dumb mccain
Mr. Duck and Dodge, John McCain.
......oops who is in charge
I say the candidates should continue with the debates and that Obama should NOT play copycat and return to Washington. John McCain is using this as a ploy to gain voter support. Barack Obama needs to keep on engaging with the American people on the campaign trail. Returning to Washington for a few days isn't going to have a direct affect on the bailout or the economy. What will have a direct affect on our economy is having Obama in Washington over the next 8 years and he needs to keep that in focus.
This guy and his pathetic lovers are a shame to this country. When there is no leadership in Washington to resolve this nation's crisis to decide on the $700 billion bailout proposal, he still wants to debate instead of step up and show some leadership in resolving the crisis. His pathetic supportes are saying McCain is scared of the debate and is delaying LOL ..Did you people even know Friday's debat is about Foreign Policy and McCain is scared to debate Obama who is a zero in that field ..comeon stop acting like immatured kids and start thinking like wise americans. Atleast McCain is ready to show some leadership and i am still undecided and want to evaluate these two more. So far Obama has only onething to say is blame it on everything to bush..thatz what he is doin ..SHAME ..If you want to be a leader time to show some leadership.
Barack refused... what a horrible decision.
Country before Party – Obama hasn't a clue what this means!
I would think anyone that is seeking the presidency should be able to handle more than one thing at a time. If, however, he can't, they could change the venue to DC and the topic to the economy. Then he can provide "leadership" instead of running for cover.
why not? ... he wasn't even going to DC and vote on the proposal anyway .... not even "present" this time!!!
McCain '08
Thank you Brack Obama for not having a knee jerk reaction to the breakdown on the $700 billion corporate bailout like Sen. McCain did. Senators running for president need to show they can work on pressing issues such as the economic meltdown AND keep this crucial campaign going by facing each other in Friday's debate. To do any less would be to overreact and run away from their responsibility to the public. Wait, did I just accuse McCain of overacting and running away? You bet!
Good for Barack he is ready to lead and to explain to the American people his plans.the debate is at night and I still do not understand why McCain wants to have it later. Is he afraid of something to be said?
LOL
After missing over 60% of the votes on other important issues, NOW McCain wants to finally cast a vote.
After complaining about not getting "his way or the highway" approach to town halls, NOW McCain would be willing to skip this debate.
After McCain supported Phil Gram's lobbying for sub-prime mortgages that caused this mess, NOW McCain wants to backpedal from his deregulation.
Give me a break. Enough of the gimmicks, McCain.
Debate on!
The people want these debates to go on.... We need to hear the presidential candidates!
Why not state this earlier this week... why wait til the last minute... Because he's not prepared and doesn't want to be asked the dreaded question- " Senator McCain, do you support this bailout? and why or why not?
THE PEOPLE TO MCCAIN- THANKS BUT NO THANKS!
dont let him off the hook obama!
I fully expected something like this from McCain–anything to keep from being exposed as the light weight he is, economically. Couple this with his campaign's unwillingness to allow real press exposure of Palin, and you have the essence of the Republican campaign: sham, clothed in pretense, buttressed by bravado, and offered as panacea. Ugh!
PLEASE don't give in to McSame. Trust the force and go ahead with Friday giving Bush 44 the thrashing he so soundly now deserves.
This is just another lame McSame stunt to draw attention to himself as somehow being the hero in the rescue of our economy. Chances are that he can't balance his own checkbook, so spare us all.
Let the games begin.
Just say NO to Bush 44 and Caribou Barbie.
Go Obama/Biden!!!
Last week John McCain said, “The fundamentals of America’s economy are strong.”
Today, John McCain has dropped 9 points behind Barack Obama in the polls!
AND, today, John McCain wants to “suspend his campaign and postpone Friday’s Presidential debate” because “our economy is in crisis.”
OPEN YOU EYES, AMERICA. This is one of the nastiest and most cynical political stunts ever attempted in American Presidential politics.
Call it what it is! It is not noble; it is not honorable! It is despicable!
McCain is once again grasping at an American crisis and playing it for whatever he can gain politically.
He chose Palin for that reason, and he halted the Republican Convention, not because of the suffering, but because he needed an excuse to not have Bush and Cheney appear!
McCain’s slogan is NOT “country first” but “winning first!”
An American with Eyes Wide-Open this time!
I think a good proposal is to change the topic from foreign policy to economics
BRING IT ON JONNY BOY. THIS ELECTION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OR EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS CRISIS. IF WE DON'T GET THE RIGHT PERSON IN THERE WE ARE IN MORE TROUBLE.