McCain - impulsive gambler rolling the dice for the Presidency

McCain has decided to "suspend" his Presidential campaign and fly back to Washington to take credit for solving the credit crisis. Not bad for a guy who does not understand economics and who hasn't been working in the Senate since April 2007. As part of this gambit, he wants to put off the debate Friday night.

Yesterday's McCain gambit, aided by the Bush speech, demonstrates what it means to have an American leader who is impulsive and makes gut-level decisions rather than rational ones as the man in charge. Steve Benen has several articles this morning that shed light on what McCain has attempted.

McCain has a regular M.O. of waiting until the rest of the politicians have done all the hard work and negotiating to hammer out a solution to a problem. Then, as the final deal is being worked out, McCain parachutes in, joins the crowd that has decided what to do, and then steps out to face the cameras and take credit for the solution.

Why does McCain act that way? Steve Benen points to McCain's gambling style. Benen quotes Slate's John Dickerson discussing McCain's normal decision-making style:

Whether McCain's crazy gambit is seen as desperate or brilliant, it doesn't matter. Either way, it's probably not the last. The beneficial effects of the Palin Hail Mary lasted only a few weeks, and another adrenaline injection was needed. If this one doesn't work, that's OK -- in due time they can try another razzle-dazzle play. And if it does work, that's great -- in due time they can still try another razzle-dazzle play. It all makes the prospect of a McCain White House very exciting. So exciting, he might want to schedule periodic suspensions of his presidency to get anything done.

Much like both George Bush and Sarah Palin, John McCain has little interest in the hard work of negotiating and working out political solutions to real problems. McCain wants the limelight and credit for the solutions, but has little to really offer in achieving them. Instead he is a glory-hog.

Once a solution is worked out, McCain is adept at stepping out in front of the press and taking credit for the solution others have achieved. On the way, he is similarly adept at avoiding situations in which he will look bad - like the debate he has decided to duck tomorrow night. On the debate, he has decided to make a twofer of his avoidance. He wants it rescheduled to replace the Vice-Presidential debate that Sarah Palin's interview with the lightweight Katie Couric last night showed she is totally unable to deal with.

John McCain has rather clearly demonstrated during his Presidential campaign that he has no idea what America's problems are, what solutions might be put into place, or how to achieve them. Instead McCain has demonstrated that he is a glory-seeker who wants the job of President for his own personal satisfaction. Since he does not do hard, slogging work to achieve such glory, he has been running an opportunistic campaign that consists of a series of dramatic stunts. He knows he is a long shot candidate, so he is rolling the dice to try to luck into the job.

McCain has also shown that he is completely unsuited to the job of President. His election as President would, if anything, be worse than the disaster that George bush has been.