Last night about this time I wrote a blog and asked 20 questions about what today would bring. Now that the debates are over and much of the drama associated with McCain yon Thursday has ended, go below the fold for the answers to yesterday's 20 questions.
- Is this split between House and Senate Republicans real? Has a heretofore under-reported fault line in the Republican party finally been exposed? Still hard to read this. I hope someone from the blogging world or MSM goes after this story.
2. Will the radical House Republicans who trashed the White House Bailout proposal sign on to some sort of compromise in the next 24 hours? Will it turn out that this was just brinksmanship? Mixed verdict here. It does look like the radical House Republicans have been brought in from the cold. It looks to me as though they see common cause with McCain in drawing a line between themselves and Bush. Whether this alliance will last for the rest of the campaign and whether it will end up hurting more than helping is the story here.
3. Have radical House Republicans decided not only to blow up this bailout deal, but they have decided to blow up their party as well? Have they decided to make McCain and his campaign take some sort of purity test? 'Join us or fight us.' To put it another way, does McCain have control over these radicals, or are they out of his effective control?
From comments from cable pundits this morning, it looks like McCain uses them more than they use him. To ask whether they are under his effective control is to skip the more important question whether he himself is under effective self-control.
4. Will there be a bailout bill by 4 pm tomorrow? Other than McCain making a link between the bailout bill and his appearance at the debates, is there a reason the bill has to be passed tomorrow?
There is no bill, but a settlement looks more likely over the weekend. It looks like McCain strategum failed. In fact the debate may have saved his bacon by deflecting attention from his failed Hail Mary pass.
5. If there is no bill by 4 pm, will McCain go to the debate?
Yes.
6. If there is a bill and it is a bill the radical House Republicans reject, will McCain go to the debate?
It never got that far.
7. Right now Sarah Palin is being warehoused in Philadelphia. No meetings are scheduled with fund raisers, the press or the public. What will she do tomorrow as this unfolds? Since the McCain campaign didn't really suspend operations, why keep her under wraps in a battleground state on a day when so much will happen?
This might be the biggest story of the night. Palin came out in a jogging suit to go to a bar and welcome McCain supporters who were coming to hear debate. She left before the debate started. After the debate, Biden showed up on all the major outlets to comment on how his candidate did. Palin was missing in action - at least on the channels I surfed.
8. Will the McCain campaign comment on its decision to suspend its campaign when even the MSM noticed that it was business as usual for most of the day Thursday? Will the campaign 'spring back to life' on Friday?
No comment from McCain on any of this and he went back to business as usual.
9. Where will Obama be during the day Friday? How will he react as the bailout bill lives or dies? Will he make comments on the bill or McCain that set the stage for his comments during the debate?
It wasn't clear where he was and no he didn't fill the air with pre-debate comments on McCain and the bailout bill.
10. What will Obama do or say, if the bailout bill goes through?
Not much.
11. If McCain doesn't show up for the debate, will the University of Mississippi give the 90 minutes to an Obama solo? Will Obama take them up on the offer?
No longer relevant.
12. If McCain does show up, what will that be like? Will the moderator keep the thing focused on foreign policy?
I thought McCain looked out of focus initially and then hit his stride by the end.
13. If a real debate breaks out, how will the MSM score the thing?
To my genuine surprise, the media so far call it a win for Obama - or a tie. Pat Buchanan and a few pundits are calling it a win for McCain.
I thought Obama did well initially, but I thought he should have called McCain out on his repeated need to 'put Obama in his place on foreign policy.' In the past Obama will usually comment that he respects McCain and his record, but for some reason McCain can't bring himself to respect his record and his motives.
14. Assuming a real debate takes place, will Obama be able to take advantage of whatever kind of intramural fight is going on among Republicans?
No. He spent most of his time tying McCain firmly to Bush.
15. Will President Bush stay off the tv screen all day even if the radical House Republicans show a real interest in blowing up the bailout bill and McCain can't or won't stop them?
Bush got on TV right away and in effect dared McCain and the radical House Republicans to maintain their opposition. They caved before noon.
16. Friday's tracking polls will include the first public reactions to McCain's decision to 'halt' his campaign and re-schedule the debates. Did his Hail Mary pass work again?
No. Obama's lead in the tracking polls increased - across the boards.
17. What will Senate Republicans do?
Stay quiet.
18. What will the markets do?
Rebound slightly.
19. Will Bill Clinton get a little face time and continue to express his admiration and affection for Senator McCain?
We'll see. There is a chance by the way that he is 'following orders' from the Obama campaign on this.
20. Will the Mets win today?
No and it looks like they may miss the playoffs by blowing it in September for the second straight year.
Remember - 24 hours ago - none of this was known on the internet on the MSM.
What an election.