Contrast
I’m not really sure how much credit to give to John McCain for chiding his supporters for getting out of hand in their attacks on Obama. On the one hand, yes, it’s the decent thing to do. On the other hand, it’s the bare minimum he should be doing as a decent human being, and he only needs to speak out because of the ugly campaign he’s been running.
And, yes, I think he did the right thing in interrupting and chiding a questioner who said that she can’t trust Obama because he’s an Arab. However:
McCain shakes his head, as though losing his patience and snatches the mic back out of woman’s hands. “No, Ma’am. No, Ma’am. He’s a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.”
“No, ma’am, he’s not an Arab; he’s a decent family man.”
I have to imagine that doesn’t go over will with Arab-Americans. Or non-racists.
Update: Re-watching that exchange, I’m struck by the questioner’s reaction to McCain. She starts into her question, and McCain interrupts her, “No.” She says, “No?”
That “no,” it seems to be, could mean one of two different things. First, it’s possible that she’s surprised to learn she’s wrong: “No? He’s not really an Arab?” Maybe McCain is correcting a misapprehension. The other possibility is that she’s surprised that she’s not saying the right thing: “No? That’s not what you want from us?” There’s something in her querulous tone (and yes, I am reading a lot into a microscopic exchange in which one of the parties has her back to the camera) that sounds like someone expecting approval, and getting chided instead. The McCain campaign has been signaling for a long time that it wanted to paint Obama as un-American, un-white, unsafe. It has been calling, all but explicity, for just the sort of statement this woman started to make. Can you blame her for being surprised at being told to stop?
Popularity: 14% [?]
yes, i read this in the NYTimes and thought on so many levels: “What an ASS”.
I think we ought to be over-the-top in saying that McCain obviously is smarter and more decent than, and properly distancing himself from, his unhinged mob. What can his followers say in response? How can he react?
It’s a great wedge opportunity, all the better because it’s true: McCain has more contempt for the toothless rednecks circulating hate-filled emails than he does for you, me, or Barack Obama.
Charley: I like it in theory, but I’m afraid the response (from McCain or his surrogates) is, “How dare Barack Obama criticize the intelligence and decency of ordinary Americans who are concerned about their country’s future. This is just another example of Obama’s out-of-touch elitism.”
Now, it’s possible that if things get even uglier, that defense starts to look weak, but I’m leery of overestimating the decency of our pundits.
Yeah, I have to disagree with Charley. I think that staying out of this particular fray is the best thing Obama can possibly do. That approximate approach has served him well so far — it conveys the impression that he doesn’t have time for this nonsense. Let the Republican base fall out of love with their candidate, or be confused about whether they love or hate their candidate, and let McCain walk (or rather hang from) the tightrope he’s put himself on. Obama honestly doesn’t need to do a thing at this point.
I completely agree with Matt that you have to feel for the poor bigot who asked the question — how could she possibly have anticipated McCain’s response? I know I didn’t.
I caught an Ana Marie Cox appearance on MSNBC last night. It may be that I dislike her, but she seems to be claiming some sort of credit in the change in McCain. She says that up until yesterday evening McCain aids were denying McCain’s responsibility to try to control the crowd, but after another round of questioning by her, the change occurred. Like I said, I am biased, but see for yourself at 6:20.