Monday, August 18, 2008

McCain's Cone Crumbles: Creates Cheating Meme

Finally, a fumble from team McCain.

This is in reference to the Rick Warren discussions (which, if you ask me, is the biggest piece of hooey we've had in this election. Why pander to religious hucksters, and consider this a major political event? But that's where our politics have sunk. Probably both candidates had to grit their teeth for this one.)

Anyway, McCain was supposed to be in a "cone of silence" while waiting for Obama's interview to be done. Turns out, he wasn't even in the building. Obama's camp has been making a point of this, and it was picked up by the press.

Now, McCain is carping about accusations of cheating. So it doesn't matter what people hear, or whether McCain actually was listening in or not, they'll just register: cheater.

Does any of this really mean anything or matter? (No - it's hardly rises to the level of Bush having a hidden microphone for a real-live debate.) And was McCain listening in and being prepped? It doesn't matter: the idea that he could have been plays to his weakness, the "senile" meme, that McCain needs coaching to stay on point.

Finally - Obama gets McCain on the defensive with his own techniques: the more McCain makes an issue of it, the worse it is for him. Nice to see. And horrible, at the same time: this is what the political debate has turned into, scoring "gotcha's" on appearances at meaningless confessionals with media hucksters.

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