The Waiting Game

Here we are, two days away from the first presidential debate, and John McCain suddenly wants to "postpone" it because of the economic crisis. Barack Obama said no. Does McCain really think that he'll be so busy bailing out his buddies in Washington at 9 p.m. Friday that he just can't be bothered to face the people whom he wants to vote for him? Worse, does he think no one sees through these tiresome stall tactics?

Frankly, Americans should be enraged by the fact that this man's campaign, which claims to be so ultra patriotic, willfully dodges every single attempt to question him and running mate Sarah Palin. If their position is so solid, what is loathsome about discussing the fate of our nation, were it to be placed in their hands?

Yesterday was the first day since August 13 that McCain deigned to take questions from reporters and even then, it was only for seven minutes. Palin has yet to speak to the press, except in extremely controlled and rehearsed circumstances. It's to the point now where the press is deciding to boycott her, until she participates in the democratic process, of which the press is a part. The press exists to give us to the news, to describe the scene and ask the questions for those of us who cannot be there personally. So, in essence, the McCain campaign, by its silence, has made the decision to simply refuse to subject itself to the rightful scrutiny of the American people.

The very idea that a person could be so arrogant and presumptuous as to believe that he can be elected solely by aggressive public relations is insulting. It means that, once again, McCain believes he doesn't have to answer to anyone. Perhaps that is his definition of "maverick."

America has every right to consider fully who is going to be its next president. It has every right to weight ALL of the facts before casting its ballots. The inability to question a presidential candidate and his running mate in advance of an election borders very much on the "socialism" that McCain and company claim to hate.

Ignorance may be bliss, but it sure isn't putting "country first."