So John McCain doesn't want to debate Friday night. I can understand that. He's having a pretty bad week. But we've already got a national precedent on how to handle that. Just like when Karl Rove refused to show up for his Congressional hearing, I suggest we have the debate as planned. We just put an empty chair in place where McCain was supposed to stand, and let Obama answer all the questions the time allows if John McCain doesn't show up to fill that seat.
Personally, I think it would raise the tone of the debate, cut the truthiness factor significantly, and keep the fact-finders and truth-minders from working overtime.
I think it would kick up the I.Q. level of the answers.
It might even raise ratings.
It will certainly improve the scenery. I've seen chairs. I've seen both presidential candidates close up in person in the last week (see my diaries). In terms of pure visual appeal, a nice piece of furniture is a lot more watchable than John McCain is right now. The guy looks too tired to think. I saw first-hand that he's too tired to read the teleprompter. In a debate he might just lose it entirely because he's too tired to talk.
So let the furniture (and Barack Obama) speak.
And let the debate go on!