It's the best possible way for Obama to get a national audience to refute it, show how negative McCain is, and simply say: "Times are too rough; I won't stoop to that" Debate done!

Michaela

a re-post, you'll be glad I did.

go take a read of Ben Smith's email from a GOP consultant on a focus group in upper midwestern state:

Voting for Obama anyway - Reagan Dems and Independents. Call them blue-collar plus. Slightly more Target than Walmart.

BTW, Obama is moving staff from Michigan to Indiana.

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

"The notion that I'm guilty by association with a guy who committed reprehensible acts when I was 8 years old is beneath you, and shows America that 4 more years of divisive politics is all that you're capable of offering America when we are in the midst of the greatest economic crisis since the great depression..."  Then launch into middle class solutions, and then mention the middle class some more.

John McCain hates children

If he does bring it up, McCain will demonstrate clearly his lack of leadership skills.  He will have learned nothing from the results of his past negative attacks.  

Fear will keep the local systems in line. -Grand Moff Tarkin -SLB-

First, I'd give the cliff's notes version of what my relationship with Ayers was. He is a college professor, I served with him and a bunch of Republicans on a Republican-financed education board, I was eight years old when this other stuff happened.

But THEN...I would tell the story of South Carolina in 2000. About how, when Bush was in danger of losing, he unleashed Rove to destroy McCain's character.  They went after McCain's war record, they they went after his wife, they went after his children. The same people who swift-boated war hero John Kerry in 2004.

And now, instead of repudiating such attacks, John McCain has hired these same people to deploy these same baseless characters attacks against me. Americans are tired of this stuff. And John, one day you're gonna look back and wish you'd run on the issues, not on these distractions.

I really can't venture a guess as to whether McCain himself will bring it up.  My gut tells me "NO". But I do think Bob Schieffer will touch on it.

But one thing that I have learned as a spectator during this whole crazy campaign, it is this.  If circumstances allow an appropriate response by Obama on this issue he will absolutely and unequivocally hit it out of the park.  His ability to strike the perfect tone, intensity and reassurance when answering almost any question is truly a marvel to behold.  That's not to say he cannot potentially stumble and fumble or be tripped up.  He is merely a human being.  It's just that I haven't really seen any sign that he will allow this to happen.  In my lifetime I don't think I have ever seen a more focused and disciplined candidate for public office.

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity"

I'm not going to speculate because McCain is so erratic I have no clue as to what he's going to do tonight - I suspect that he doesn't know yet either.

Additionally, I'm not going to pontificate on what I think Obama should do because he seems to have mad political skillz that outclass little ol' me in every way.  So whatever he comes up with as a response is almost guaranteed to be much better than anything I might suggest.

The economic pain back drops the debate.

Dow down over 500 points as

Bernanke says U.S. economy facing big threat.

U.S. mood plummets to 89.7

Americans are feeling dramatically more gloomy about the direction of the country and their personal finances.

We're in for 2-3 years of severe recession.

Good for Obama the implosion happened on Bush's watch.

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

I voted, by the way that the moderator of the debate will ask McCain about it.

John McCain hates my wife because she's a "gook."

if he brings it up, Obama should ask him about William Timmons, and why McKKKain employs a known terrortist sympathiser.
he could frame it like this: "mr. McKKKain has made a big deal about Bil Ayers, who was indeed committing crimes when I was all of 8 years old.  However, Ayers has been throughly rehabilitated for years..."

Here he brings up al the factoids I haven't paid attention to, Annenberg etc.  Then he closes with "i don't understand why my opponent is so obsessed with attempted terrorist attacks committed nearly 50 years, when his own campaign advisor narrowly avoided jail time for illegally lobbying to do busienss wioth Saddam Hussein himself!  John, why did you hire a man who lobbyed on behalf of a bloodthirsty dictator who gassed his own people and who we recently deposed?"

so by all means, bring that shit on.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

Negative campaigning i an issue in US politics so Obama should seize the opportunity (if McCain offers it) to inform low information voters what really is the truth behind the attacks.

"We reported back to hearts what we had seen, and told our footsteps all about where we had been."

pharmacologicals, really. Bet on it.

IF:

1-McPain can remember what he is and is not supposed to do.

2-He can control himself while he does what is supposed to do.

3-He is not too worn out to function well enough to make a fight of it.

4-And if his time-release uppers do not leave stranded high and dry in mid-debate.

Then maybe he has a shot at using that Ayers weapon semi-effectively.

_______________________

The facts in this regard are as follows:

Obama is a defensive specialist.

McCain is all almost all offense.

and

Between the two of them, only one is in his prime.

Obama wins.

Odds? About 10 to 1.

And that's being kind.

Watch.

AG

Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West