Well, with 30 days left to go and Obama beginning to pull away, both nationally and within the ‘toss-up’ State polls, Bill Kristol–that sniveling, insufferable, neocon moronic editor of the Weekly Standard, wonders whether there’s still time for McCain to ‘catch up’?  He urges, again, that “character” is an issue and McCain shouldn’t be afraid to bring it up.  As if one of the sleaziest, low-balling campaigns in recent memory , hasn’t been lying and twisting the truth and slinging mud now for months.  And so, apparently, the McCain campaign has found yet another pair of gloves to take off.

So here comes Sarah Palin yesterday and today, and she’s rediscovered Bill Ayers (already targeted by Hillary Clinton many months ago), and maligning that Obama “pals around with terrorists.”  We can only imagine more commercials, more surrogates, and even McCain himself in the remaining debates going after Obama with the “guilt by association” artillery.  Geez, sooo smacks of McCarthyism, the desperation obvious and profound and more than just a little sickening.  Does McCain really want to go there?  Apart from it’s dubious significant effectiveness, when you start to look at McCain’s church leaders and political and lobbying groups he’s associated with, there’s plenty of ammunition for Obama’s forces, should they choose to use it.

Maybe it’s a little charming, and maybe just a little naive, but one of the many reasons I’ve come to admire Obama is that he’s more-or-less loathe to sink down in the mud to that level.  No, he’ll never pass a white glove test, but this is Presidential electoral politics after all; stipulating that, his campaign has been impressively “clean” and even more impressably calm and measured.  With the nation on the verge of economic collapse, who knows what kind of recession/depression we may be staring at around the corner, and two wars being fought, you’d think we as Americans would have more important things on our minds than to get caught up in juvenile, “he’s no patriot” baiting Rovian tactics like alligning Obama with Ayers and Rev. Wright et. al.  I’d like to think it won’t work this time, that this time we’re better than that, different than that.  Sure, the sleazy attack campaign will hurt Obama some, but will it make more than small, temporary dents, not effecting the principle trajectory?  Who knows?  I’ve had a habit of overestimating the American public before, and they usually let me down.  Will we en toto again make me wonder:  “how stupid can America be?” or, for once in a while, will my fellow citizens impress me, and keep their eyes on more important targets and goals?

Zach Newman is a writer and political junkie. His “day job”, though, is as an experienced, reliable and trusted Realtor in the Portland area. He is a longtime member of PABA - Portland’s GLBT Chamber of Commerce. Call Zach at 503.287.8989 or visit his website at: http://www.equitygroup.com/zach.

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