This is the remark that will have everybody talking today:
McCain made the remark tonight when discussing a 2005 Senate vote on an energy bill. “There was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one,” he said, pointing to Obama. “You know who voted against it? Me.”
Both campaigns are beginning to spin the line with the Obama campaign calling McCain “angry and agitated” and the McCain campaign calling the Obama campaign “fussiest campaign in American history.”
Over the next few days, the debate will intensify over whether or not the comment was racist (I’m sure that Bob Herbert has already penned the op-ed and that Keith Olbermann has yet another rant “special comment” drafted) or merely condescending, whether it was intentional or a slip of the tongue, whether it was effective or not.
And that’s exactly what the McCain campaign wants all of us to do.
The last thing that John McCain wants us to do right now is talk about the economy, Wall Street, or health care. Those are all losing issues for him. The only chance that he has to win this thing is to change the topic. That is why his campaign announced their new smear campaign in advance. Obama preempted by changing the topic and attacking McCain. And the negative campaigning became a prominent headline in the news.
So don’t get all worked up about a canned line meant to distract the press, enrage the left, and fire-up the right. With his campaign sinking in the polls, and no winning issues on the horizon, McCain is throwing everything he can at Obama with fingers crossed, hoping that something sticks. Go about your day knowing that what you witnessed last night was the spectacle of a desperate politician watching his ambitions slip away. Go about your day knowing that this race is still Obama’s to lose:
And if you need to hate on someone, hate on me. Joe Biden is coming to Tampa and my friend–who is a paid staffer here in Florida–scored me a “special ticket.”
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