SUSA Snap Poll: Hold Debate And Make It About The Economy

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:37:10 PM EST
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Via Kos, SUSA snap polled the McCain debate stunt:

The first debate between John McCain and Barack Obama is scheduled to take place in two days. Should the debate be held as scheduled? Should the debate be held, but the format changed to focus on the economy? Or, should the debate be postponed?

Hold as scheduled 50
Hold with focus on economy 36
Postpone 10

More...

Is the right response to the turmoil on Wall Street to suspend the campaigns for president? To continue the campaigns as though there is no crisis? Or, to re-focus the campaigns with a unique emphasis on the turmoil on Wall Street?

Suspend 14
Continue 31
Refocus the campaign 48

If Friday's presidential debate does not take place, would that be good for America? Bad for America? Or would it make no difference?

Good for America 14
Bad for America 46
No difference 35

By Big Tent Democrat

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SUSA Snap Poll: Hold Debate And Make It About The Economy | 60 comments (60 topical)

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Wow (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by Steve M on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:43:00 PM EST

I had no idea they could throw a poll together so quickly.

Polls are easily parallelizable (none / 0) (#3)
by andgarden on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:45:24 PM EST

if you have enough phone lines.

There's a concern that you might not reach a representative sample of the population, but you can do it with IVR.

[ Parent ]

Awwk. First, "transitioning," then (none / 0) (#27)
by oculus on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:34:00 PM EST

"wanding," now "parallelizing." What next?

[ Parent ]

I'm afeared to ask (none / 0) (#33)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:39:27 PM EST

What is wanding though? Does it require Harry Potter? I can't not know. These poll junkies will be the death of me yet.

[ Parent ]

: "Wanding": (5.00 / 1) (#35)
by oculus on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:42:00 PM EST

passing a wand over the body of another, as in airport security. No reason it couldn't also apply to Harry Potter plots though.

[ Parent ]

You didn't get the call? (none / 0) (#4)
by CST on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:46:13 PM EST

Too many political junkies out there... that's what this poll shows.

Ourselves included of course.

[ Parent ]

The quicker the better (none / 0) (#11)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:07:00 PM EST

right?

[ Parent ]

McCain blew it IMO (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by andgarden on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:46:17 PM EST

Yea (5.00 / 3) (#7)
by CST on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:50:21 PM EST

It would be different if he said a week ago "I'm going to suspend my campaign a week to deal with this crisis". But the fact that he waited until now, after it's already been going on for over a week, to pretend like he suddenly has an urgent need to go back to D.C. is just completely disingenious and people see right through it.

[ Parent ]

I don't know about that (none / 0) (#12)
by Miserere mei on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:10:16 PM EST

First of all ther is only a four point spread between holding the debate and not.

Secondly McCain has said:

McCain said he would stop all advertising, fundraising and other campaign events to return to Washington and work for a bipartisan solution.

So he is going to suspend all campaigning. Pretty gutsy and it backs his words that he want to do something. Now whether people here believe him or not is not relevant. What is relevant is how the general public perceives his move.

Lastly, as in the past I look for Obama to change his tune and follow McCain just as he has the last few times.

Lastly- Lastly, I'd bet the ranch that if Obama were doing the same thing as McCain is doing now it would be hailed as LEADERSHIP.

[ Parent ]

4 point spread? (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by CST on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:13:09 PM EST

Noooo. Only 10% said it should be cancelled. 50% said hold as is and 36 said change focus, but still hold.

unless you forgot a zero and meant 40 point spread...

[ Parent ]

My error in reading (none / 0) (#15)
by Miserere mei on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:25:23 PM EST

Still if McCain is willing to do what he is I think he will be perceived as leading.

A snap poll is a snap poll and without people knowing that McCain is willing to suspend campaigning, if that is the case, I'm not sure that the poll results would be the same. And us not knowing exactly what questions were asked in the poll and how up to date the questions were in reflecting the latest in each candidates statements who knows how different the snap poll would be. Or for that matter being a snap poll wo knows how it was weighted.

I just think McCain is beating Obama to the punch here in the Leadership category and I know that if Obama were doing the same thing the Obamabots here would be screaming LEADERSHIP. I know it, you know it, and everyone else knows it. Not a person here would be complaining about rescheduling the debate.

The choices are simple: Hold a general debate; Hold an economic debate; or go do your job as a leader in DC.

Pretty simple choice IMO.

[ Parent ]

Punch seen in reverse (5.00 / 2) (#37)
by Rashomon66 on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:45:12 PM EST

Sorry, but McCain does not win this one. A leader holds the debates and makes deals with the Senate and Paulson et al at the same time.
Also, what could either of these candidates possibly do in Washington that is not already being done?
Rescheduling the debates is not the issue. 'Why they would postpone them' is the issue. Is this economic issue so important that we should cancel a forum where they can talk about it to the very voters who will decide the next President?
I think not.

[ Parent ]

Like I said (5.00 / 1) (#52)
by Miserere mei on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 06:04:58 PM EST

you can either talk about it on TV or go to DC and do your job as a Senator. You don't seem to understand that.

You watch - Obama will follow McCain's lead just as he has in the past, just as he always followed Clinton's lead.

Let's face it Obama has been talking about this thing and did not even adopt Clinton's proposal. McCain is taking the first action move by saying he is going to go try to get something done face to face with which is his job as a Senator and shows a willingness of 'hands-on' action. Obama wants to debate instead of getting his hand dirty.

Action or Talk? Which offers a path to a solution?

If you said Talk you are wrong. Action leads to solutions especially when a vote is pending. Action is the Left's best chance to stop Paulson. A debate does not do a thing to stop Paulson.

So the question for Obama is does he want to be seen as a candidate trying to convince people to vote for him or does he want to be seen in DC 'Leading' his party in a solution that makes sense?

[ Parent ]

I have to disagree (none / 0) (#56)
by Rashomon66 on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 06:23:49 PM EST

A debate does not do a thing to stop Paulson.

You seem to think they can't have a debate and deal with Paulson too.
This is odd. Actions do speak louder than words. But what could Obama and McCain gain by suspending a campaign and postponing a debate? It just seems really odd to me. Especially when you learn McCain has been a no show often in Washington. You can be a leader and a debater and run a campaign. But to McCain all of the sudden running for President needs to be put on hold. I think he knows the American people think he is clueless so he is playing his hand at being "Mr stateman who cares for the American people". Will he try to suspend the election for the same reason?

[ Parent ]

: I guess you never had (5.00 / 2) (#57)
by Miserere mei on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 06:40:01 PM EST

to deal with a pressing situation that required your presence in the location where other people pertinent to the solution were gathered in one place.
If you think traveling to Mississippi, being there in advance of the debate, being there for the debate, and being there after the debate and then traveling again does not take all or the better part of day then you are ill equipped to pass judgment on this thing.
A day in Mississippi or a day talking directly to people who you need to be talking to to work out a pressing solution are the choices.
You opt to suspend pressing decisions for a day on a pressing issue that affects the future of the country in favor of politics. That is what Bush did with Katrina. Now we face a financial hurricane and you want to turn your head away from that in favor of politics while that financial hurricane is speeding toward us. Not everyone is sensible.

[ Parent ]

The McCain camp is proposing (none / 0) (#29)
by IndiDemGirl on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:36:07 PM EST

that the debate be rescheduled to next Thursday, which would mean the VP debate would have to be delayed. I just can't imagine why they would want the VP debate to be delayed?

[ Parent ]

The GOP are sunk. (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:59:59 PM EST

He almost saved himself with Palin but the basic structure of modern American capitalism is under review right now.

Right now ... (5.00 / 3) (#18)
by Robot Porter on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:27:06 PM EST

I'm less concerned about the Presidential campaign, and more concerned about the Democratic Party understanding what's happening.

This is the best chance for a leftward turn in this country in more than a generation.

The half-measure, incrementalist crowd can't be allowed to win.

The public, even if they don't quite know it yet, is ready to hand us the keys to the kingdom. Let's not blow it.

There are forces at work here much more powerful than Obama.

[ Parent ]

I expect a low level civil war (none / 0) (#22)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:29:06 PM EST

will break out among social democrats and the classical liberals.

There's no way the GOP are going to have the white house, and all that remains now is the Democratic Party faction that controls economic policy.

[ Parent ]

Well go social Democrats. I've been (5.00 / 1) (#25)
by Teresa on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:30:28 PM EST

thinking that I could use a good dose of Edwards anger right now.

[ Parent ]

Forget it (none / 0) (#45)
by Miserere mei on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:52:14 PM EST

Obama has already stated that if this bailout goes through that he will have to drastically put off many of the social items and even tax cuts he has stated he would try to implement. Not that the GOP would have allowed many to pass anyway. I don't think that fact has made the front pages here but it was all over the news.

[ Parent ]

How does the GOP (none / 0) (#47)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:55:22 PM EST

not allow Obama's goals to pass if Democrats run the White House, the Senate, and the House? Have we come to so easily accept that the Democratic reps are this pathetic?

[ Parent ]

Obama said there won't be enough $'s. (none / 0) (#49)
by Teresa on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:57:41 PM EST

I'm fed up with all of them. If I could, I'd move to another country. They can't all be this bad.

[ Parent ]

60 votes in the senate Tracy (none / 0) (#53)
by Miserere mei on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 06:07:53 PM EST

We don't have them and most likely will not have them come November. Without 60 the GOP can stop anything they want.

[ Parent ]

: Oh I see (5.00 / 3) (#58)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 06:54:44 PM EST

the repubs hold the whole country hostage but the Dems keep their powder dry....fricken pathetic, so pathetic it should be illegal to be so cowardly.

[ Parent ]

Simple. No money to pay for them. (none / 0) (#61)
by Christy1947 on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 09:20:54 PM EST

[ Parent ]

I really don't think ... (none / 0) (#51)
by Robot Porter on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 06:03:23 PM EST

Obama is the issue anymore.

[ Parent ]

: he'll be the blocking mechanism (none / 0) (#54)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 06:09:06 PM EST

used by the system to save itself though.

[ Parent ]

Agreed. (none / 0) (#46)
by Pegasus on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:52:48 PM EST

What will be most interesting is how, or whether, Obama's activist base pivots after his election. That'll depend on who he wants to be once he's in office, of course (and I think that's a very open question, unlike most of his skeptics), but if he wants to hold to the center I foresee some long arguments with a lot of the people I've worked with around his campaign over the last year-plus.

[ Parent ]

: He might not disagree on policy on Jan 21, but (none / 0) (#62)
by Christy1947 on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 09:22:43 PM EST

what they are going to leave him is an empty piggy bank, and the problem of having to consider raising taxes to pay for bailing out Republican contributors. How do youpay for Single payer or any similar policy if you have zero bucks to do it with?

[ Parent ]

Attractive idea (none / 0) (#26)
by robrecht on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:31:21 PM EST

But do you really think to accomplish this by week's end? Or do you have another plan?

[ Parent ]

I'm affirad there will be an (5.00 / 3) (#28)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:35:04 PM EST

attempt to stave off such a leftist victory.

hell i'd do an eminent domain on teh health insurance industry befiore I bailed out a bank.

[ Parent ]

: But this week isn't ... (5.00 / 1) (#50)
by Robot Porter on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:59:59 PM EST

the only battle.
We'll probably lose this week. But we have to be geared up to win the long game.
This isn't one of those times where congress does some stopgap thing and the public forgets about it three months later.

[ Parent ]
: Me too. I must be a socialist at heart. (none / 0) (#39)
by Teresa on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:45:35 PM EST

I'm sick of never getting the needs of the little guy met.

[ Parent ]

By the way (5.00 / 1) (#40)
by Steve M on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:45:52 PM EST

while these results are encouraging, I've noticed that when you ask people whether something is genuine or a political stunt, they ALWAYS say it's a political stunt. No one wants to be the rube, so it's easier to be cynical.

: Here ya go (none / 0) (#42)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:47:05 PM EST

Saving me immense pschoanalysist fees.

[ Parent ]

An example (5.00 / 1) (#59)
by Lahdee on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 07:31:11 PM EST

of yet another bad decision by McCain. Hiding Palin from the press is one thing, having the top of the ticket dodging the opening debate is quite another. Just how many more bad decisions before even the disengaged realized this man should not be President? Hard to say, but I'll bet he's got at least one doozie left in him.

Have it but focus on the economy. I'm (none / 0) (#1)
by Teresa on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:39:19 PM EST

surprised they said hold as is.

: Snap polls are (none / 0) (#19)
by Miserere mei on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:27:09 PM EST

very 'iffy'. I never have put much faith in them as they are geared more to creating news than actually being an accurate poll.

[ Parent ]

After Rove sees these numbers (none / 0) (#6)
by of1000Kings on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:47:48 PM EST

I'm sure something will change in the McCain camp...

With the latest... (none / 0) (#8)
by CoralGables on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:56:00 PM EST

FOX poll having Obama at +6, it looks like McCain is grasping at straws for a rainout Friday night.

If they switch this to a debate on the economy it will be McCain's worst nightmare. He will look like a moose in the headlights.

Someone on FOX just said that McCain's plan (none / 0) (#9)
by robrecht on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 04:58:55 PM EST

was to postpone the presidential debate until next Thursday, which was supposed to be the night for the VP debate. Even the FOX interviewer (of Geraldine Ferraro BTW) couldn't help but smile as the penny dropped and she realized this would also give Sarah Palin more time to prepare ... or maybe they'd just have to end up cancelling that one. LOL!

Or Biden and Palin (none / 0) (#20)
by tootired on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:27:52 PM EST

could swap slots and go first while Obama and McCain return to Washington. Or will Biden need to be in Washington, too?

[ Parent ]

: No, I think McCain needs Palin in DC too (none / 0) (#24)
by robrecht on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:30:07 PM EST

[ Parent ]

I guess this will be the focus now but I would (none / 0) (#14)
by Teresa on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:24:16 PM EST

like to say that the third debate was supposed to be domestic policy. There are a lot of issues there that I want to hear about and it's not just Wall Street. If they change this one, I don't want it only about the crisis.

I think (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by CST on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:25:31 PM EST

they should just swap topics. Do the economy today and foreignn policy at the third debate.

[ Parent ]

The way it was originally scheduled. (none / 0) (#21)
by Teresa on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:28:21 PM EST

I want to here about health care and social issues too, not just this issue. Even if the other things have to be delayed due to the current economic crisis.

[ Parent ]

: It could devolve into a boorish lecture on banking (none / 0) (#31)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:36:45 PM EST

and i'm not sure Obama was expecting to have to be the angry populist railing against Wall Street.
he's in a spot too. An existentialist crisis if you will.

[ Parent ]

I'd avoid Iraq if I was Obama... (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:26:50 PM EST

...unless it's all about teh bloody price tag attatched.

[ Parent ]

: Obama doesn't need to avoid Iraq (5.00 / 1) (#44)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:50:55 PM EST

not at all, and the bloody price tag is just topping on the sundae I think.

[ Parent ]

hahaha (none / 0) (#23)
by Pegasus on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:29:41 PM EST

awesome

What if they cancelled a Friday (none / 0) (#30)
by oculus on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:36:43 PM EST

night debate and nobody noticed and/or cared?

The Bushmill's is calling (none / 0) (#32)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:38:50 PM EST

cross the glen

and down the mountainside.

[ Parent ]

: If you invite Juan Valdez I'll show (none / 0) (#36)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:42:26 PM EST

Otherwise, I must leave you alone with the Banshees

[ Parent ]

McCain is such a low DOG (none / 0) (#41)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:46:03 PM EST

Has he created a Huckleberry here or just another tooth fairy? How many ways can John McCain attempt to create an American hero and how many will fit in one man's aging body? The world may never know.

what is sad about it all is that Bush (5.00 / 2) (#43)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:48:37 PM EST

got to be the President instead of him. The one consolation for me is that Bush may have made it possible for the left to actually win a fundamental argument about how shifty the people that run the economy are.

it's golden moment if the left wakes up.

[ Parent ]

Most big business leaders are shify. It (5.00 / 1) (#48)
by Teresa on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 05:55:35 PM EST

makes me so angry. The company I worked for for a long time file Chapter 11 a few months ago. It sickens me what they are allowed to do. They've laid off long-time workers with no severance pay and didn't even have to pay them for the vacation they had already earned.

The big guys? Not one has been forced out and not one has taken a pay cut. My old boss made $340,000 with lots of other perks and his pay was moderate compared to some of them. And this is TN where the cost of living is pretty low. It makes me so damn mad Salo. I think I am personalizing this crisis to what I know has gone on in that company. The rich get richer and the rich get protected. Even a bankruptcy judge doesn't enforce fairness.

[ Parent ]

Money is personal. (5.00 / 1) (#55)
by Salo on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 06:11:34 PM EST

Yeah the whole thing stinks of teh frat boys stripping the house bare of DVD, TV, coooker, Microwave, pots and pans, CDs, furniture, showercurtains etc right before they know the party is over.

[ Parent ]

: Bush knows all about this (none / 0) (#60)
by of1000Kings on Wed Sep 24, 2008 at 08:27:38 PM EST

he is, after all, the one who sold the shares of his company after learning the company was losing a government contract, and before this information was released to the public...
he's slick...

[ Parent ]