The debate must go on

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Well, big surprise, McCain will show up at the debate after all. You know, because he never really suspended his campaign in the first place. It was all a desperate political stunt -- and one that badly backfired (he seems to have done more harm than good back in Washington) -- and now he has no excuse left. But I'm sure his campaign will plead low expectations and declare victory no matter what happens this evening...

But why wait? It seems that victory has already been declared. (Yes, that's a McCain-Palin ad that came out before the debate.)

"They really do believe they 'create their own reality,' don't they?" notes Sullivan. And of course they do. The big problem is that the media often buy into that McCain-manufactured reality and make it their own.

(Kyle Moore has more.)

**********

HuffPo's Sam Stein notes that "the McCain campaign has gone back on its word." First calling for the debate to be postponed, now debating. "The whole episode left even conservatives admitting that the McCain campaign looked erratic and a bit foolish with no apparent direction or guiding principle."

But that's McCain for you: arrogant and erratic.