You might be a redneck if...

...you publicly state that you can't trust Obama because "he's an Arab."  (And, also, if you forget to comb your hair before leaving your house to do so.)

Well, it finally happened.  This past Friday, after McPalin brought the presidential campaign to a new low, the connection between the Ayers implications, Obama's "exoticism," and his middle name was succinctly vocalized by one of McCain's supporters.  It's what Sen. McCain and his surrogates worked so hard for last week.  They wanted to question Obama's character and make him an "other" to scare the uninformed and prejudiced.  Disgusting?  Yes.  Surprising?  No.

What was somewhat surprising was McCain's reaction to, and denial of, the charge.  All that poking and prodding, only to step away once their goal was met.  However, I've been astonished to see so many journalists and pundits then turn to praise McCain for his refuting the statement.  "That is the John McCain I know," they all say.  It's as if they're all in The Truman Show, and falling off their barstools in reaction to Truman Burbank's father returning after his supposed death.  I just can't be so quick to praise him.

Call me cynical (most do!), but I'm convinced that this is exactly what John McCain wanted.  He wanted someone to make such an outrageous charge to his face, only so he could take the high ground, therefore distancing himself from the vulgar smears his campaign has been tossing around.  Suddenly he's above the fray, but it's too late.  The lie he tried to perpetuate - that Obama is somehow foreign, unpatriotic, a Muslim, or an Arab (by way of Africa/Hawai'i) - has already seeped into the mainstream, and will remain a fixture well beyond November 4.  Now John and his concubine can take a step back and wipe their hands clean, because the voters themselves will keep it going, while the Maverick returns (anyone see the new stump speech?) in an attempt to change Washington (after it changed him 26 years ago).

"Hold on to your butts..."

Remember Samuel Jackson's character in Jurassic Park uttering that familiar phrase just before started the tour-turned-dino buffet?  On the eve of the second presidential debate, it applies just as well.  Let's look at why:

Sarah Palin, fresh off the heels of her disastrous Charlie Gibson interviews, hoped to redeem herself via Katie Couric.  Unfortunately, Katie must have come equipped with a shovel, because Gov. Palin only dug herself deeper, night after night.  For the McCain campaign, the only good thing to come out of such continued embarrassment was the lowering of the country's, and media's, expectations for the lipsticked-hockey-mom-don'tcha-know-there-you-go-again-dog-gonnit vice presidential candidate, resulting in a mediocre (although oddly victorious) debate performance.  

Meanwhile, her boss - John "maverick-until-it's-time-to-get-elected" McCain - decided it was time to save the country's economy.  Great job, senator.  He suspended his campaign to fly back to Washington so he could talk with his colleagues via phone.  Oh, that was after his photo-op with Bush and Obama, of course.  And that work didn't go unnoticed.  Or did it?  After all, the proposed "bailout" (read: necessary action) failed its first go-round in the House.  Good thing Mr. McCain was there for all of us.  Although, I guess he did suggest what was arguably one of the dumbest ideas bandied about in this marathon campaign: the idea of holding a "listening tour" to get the average American's opinion on how to fix the economy.  Solid idea.  Many of our nation's leaders don't even understand the problem, but placing an idea box down at the local Wal-Mart will make everything just right.  

All the while, Sen. Obama has been gaining ground both nationally and in many battleground states.  (McCain has even pulled out of my home state of Michigan, where the economic troubles are seen in 3-D.)  What's become clear is that McCain cannot win on the issues.  So, in a last-ditch effort to win the White House, his campaign has announced over the weekend a change in tactics (or would that be strategy?).  All he has left is to attack Obama's character, make him look like "not one of us."  The only way for McCain to have a prayer is to talk about anything but the issues.  Let's just hope that as citizens of a nation engaged in two ground wars and a major economic crisis we won't be strayed by silly, irrelevant distractions.  To be cliché, this time we really must hope for change.