Kill Them With Kindness?

McCain is running a new ad today, and I think he's really got a game-changer here...



Senator Obama responded to McCain's ad during a rally today in Iowa:

Now, Senator McCain has served this country honorably. And he can point to a few moments over the past eight years where he has broken from George Bush. Just this morning, the McCain campaign put out an ad that showed me praising him and Senator Lieberman for their work on global warming – as if there's something wrong with acknowledging when an opponent has said or done something that makes sense. I think we need more of that in Washington. I don't disagree with Senator McCain on everything, and I respect his occasional displays of independence.

This election really is becoming more and more bizarre each day. I'd like to have been in the room when the McCain people thought up this new ad.

"Ok guys, the Ayers thing doesn't seem to be panning out. The socialist argument is passable, but I keep forgetting to use the flashy thingy so people don't remember I voted for the bailout. I like the Joe the Plumber angle, but he's getting kinda cocky, isn't he? Didn't show up for the rally yesterday - made me look like an idiot. He won't even return my phone calls...you know what, let's move on. I tried the Democratic triple threat argument, but apparently people want that. I've said maverick so many times even I'm starting to twitch when I hear it. And the experience thing went out the window when I picked Sa... oh, hey Sarah. Didn't see you there. Wait...wait a minute. I think I've got it. Do you think we can find footage of Obama complimenting me? Oh, we have some?? Perfect! I think we've got him now...ha ha...ha ha ha ha...AH HA HA HA...HAAAA HAAAA HAAAA... hack...cough...cough..."

Right. A quick recap: in the last days of this historic election, anywhere from 5 to 10 points behind in national polls, during a time in which one must make their best, strongest argument to the American people in order to garner their votes, Senator John McCain thought he'd attack Obama's friendship with a college professor with a different point of view, and Obama's words of praise for McCain's environmental efforts.

If McCain's goal was to make us really start to question, "Why are the polls so close?", he's done it. Kudos, sir.