McCain Really Wants to Let the Ball Go By

This morning, one of our commenters mentioned this ad, "Extreme", released by the North Carolina Republican Party. It uses part of Rev. Wright's Goddamn America speech to tag Obama and two of his supporters in North Carolina, the competing Democratic gubernatorial candidates.

Apparently, it got quite a bit of attention from Democrats crying foul. Then the national GOP followed. And this afternoon, McCain did too:

"John McCain strongly rejects this ad and the type of politics that degrades our civics," spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker immediately responded. "From the beginning of this process McCain has expressed his intent to run a respectful campaign based on the issues, and we have repeatedly called for all parties to follow his lead."

Within a few hours, McCain had written a letter to the chair of the North Carolina GOP, Linda Daves, saying, "From the beginning of this election, I have been committed to running a respectful campaign based upon an honest debate about the great issues confronting America today. I expect all state parties to do so as well. The television advertisement you are planning to air degrades our civics and distracts us from the very real differences we have with the Democrats. In the strongest terms, I implore you to not run this advertisement."

I'd like to know just what it is that McCain objects to. Is it that it connects Obama to Wright or that it clumsily backhands Obama's supporters for sticking with him? Does "respectful" mean that he won't be pointing out Obama's questionable connections? And, bizarrely, McCain seems to be questioning the truthfulness of the ad.

What do you think?

posted by Gabriel Malor at 08:30 PM

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