Posted By: Stonecipher

Sept. 26, 2008

Political pundits, bloggers, campaign workers and political junkies everywhere have been trying to figure out exactly why John McCain made the unusual move on Wednesday to "suspend" his campaign until law makers in Washington figure out the bail-out plan, but despite all of the discussion there is really no mystery at all here.

The sole purpose of the "suspension" was to provide the McCain Campaign political cover for cancelling the Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin next Thursday in St. Louis. It didn’t work.

McCain’s threats to not show up to tonight’s presidential debate came along with a request to reschedule it for October 2, the night of the VP debate. While this piece of the story was basically reported as an after thought to McCain’s "suspension" of his campaign, it was the primary focus of McCain’s ploy.

And really, who can blame them for trying to stop it? The McCain Campaign seems to be realizing that Sarah Palin simply can not be allowed near a microphone, let alone near a microphone and Joe Biden at the same time.

Since becoming McCain’s running mate, Palin has displayed just how shockingly clueless she is on a wide variety of issues. She has also fumbled interviews, been called out for her repetitive lying and earlier today, progressive radio host, Ed Schultz, reported that the "McCain people are more than concerned about Palin." He also reported that staffers staged a mock debate and a mock press conference with Palin and that both were described as "disastrous."

With Palin’s track record so far, it is a pretty safe bet that allowing her on stage, in front of a huge television audience, next to Joe Biden, is not going to go well for the Governor from Alaska. In fact, it will be just like the mock debate was for her, disastrous.

If I were a McCain strategist right now I would be making every effort possible to figure out a way to get Palin out of debating Biden on October 2.

Whatever hit the McCain Campaign may take for bailing on or delaying the VP debate is going to be nothing compared to the hit they could potentially take from actually allowing it to go forward. If things go well enough for Biden he could effectively end her political career next Thursday night - and by proxy that may pretty much end McCain’s as well.

That is too great a risk for McCain or the Republican Party in general to take, so this week, don’t be surprised when news breaks that Team McCain is trying to weasel their way out of the VP debates.