"Yeah, hi. Barack? It's John. Listen, Friday is no good for me."

I know that John McCain is an exceptionally patriotic man. That being said, what he's trying to do in regards to the debate schedule is not an act of pure patriotism. It's more of an act of first aid. Step 1: Stop the bleeding. The past 2 weeks have been very damaging for the Republican candidate. We are now seeing a bold move to try and stem the flow of voter support and confidence making it's way to Obama. It seems as if McCain was posturing to put a line in the sand: "Where do you stand Mr. Obama, with your presidential aspirations, or the well-being of the nation?" It's a take on the "Country-First" slogan he (McCain) has been pushing. It doesn't seem as if it's going to work this time. Here are some of the elements behind the miscalculation:

1. McCain is admittedly not an expert on the economy. Neither his, nor Obama's presence in Washington directly adds any girth of financial wisdom to the discussions.
2. Speaking of country first, isn't a well informed electorate supremely important? We are on the cusp of one of the most important elections in a generation, and I feel it is rather important for the American public to see the candidates debate. Frequently.
3. McCain's proposal would also include the postponement of the Vice-Presidential debate. Interesting... Now we may be on to something. Polls have come out recently stating that a majority of Americans (Including Laura Bush) feel as though Gov. Sarah Palin does not have the necessary experience to be president. Couple that with the fact that Palin continues to struggle with the basic policy questions she has fielded. McCain know this much; Palin is a liability, and is not remotely prepared to debate Joe Biden.
4. Obama didn't bite. Sorry John, you're in no man's land now. We know that It was Obama, not McCain who initiated contact yesterday to propose a joint statement. The two spoke in the afternoon, and McCain immediately followed the discussion with his request. Was the request for postponement discussed with the Obama camp? From what I have read, they did seem rather surprised by it. But they held their ground. They have stated that the president should be able to handle more than one thing at a time, and Obama assured that he is ready to assist in Washington, should his services be deemed necessary by involved parties, but he was still prepared to debate.

Obama comes out of this looking strong, prepared, calm and (dare I say) Presidential. McCain looks flustered. Clearly if McCain felt he had any position of strength going into the debate, this postponement would not occur. Nice try John. See you on Friday.