Dear Reader,

The nation is engulfed in crisis. A massive and urgent response is needed. The people are on edge, fearful. All this as election day draws near, and a presidential debate looms. Is it a time for politics as usual or something different?

That was the question facing John McCain 12 years ago when he was the GOP candidate for president. America was on the brink of financial meltdown. Alan Greenspan called the crisis a “once-in-a-century type of event.” Black Monday came on September 15, 2008, when both Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers collapsed. Four days later, President Bush’s treasury secretary announced a $700 billion bailout plan. Over the course of a week, candidate Obama’s polling numbers began to tick up, as McCain slipped.

McCain decided to make a dramatic move. On September 24th, he announced, “Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.” McCain pulled down his campaign ads and suspended fundraising.