I think it’s a political mistake for Obama to insist on the debate, it smacks of “if McCain is for it, I’m against it.” But maybe that’s not how it will play out.

If McCain blinks or if for whatever reason he decides to participate in the debate after all, he should insist on making it about the financial crisis. If Obama were shrewd he’d say let’s move the foreign policy thing to the second debate. I mean Georgia, Iraq, Afghanistan are all very important, but the pressing question of the day is this bailout.