Example 1: Former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, who endorsed McCain, says "I don't think at the moment [Sarah Palin] is prepared to take over the reigns of the presidency." He then says that, in time, she may be "adequate." A ringing endorsement for the vice-presidential nominee. One wonders if the gold-star feminists on the right will call Eagleburger sexist, as they have called most other critics of Palin.
Example 2: The McCain campaign is releasing a new ad today that highlights Barack Obama's praise for McCain's climate change record. Look, fellas, here's the thing: Totally with you on the whole jujitsu -- use your opponents words against him if he agrees with McCain. But! We've also spent three months on the "just words," can't trust his soaring rhetoric, too flashy to be trusted stuff. That doesn't work too well in this context. Also, I thought he was a socialist? John McCain, you have been palling around with Barack Obama. How Extreme. (TM)
Substantively, this isn't very good either. Obama has said nice things about John McCain throughout the campaign, and it hasn't hurt him before. Climate change hasn't even been a major issue in the race; the spot might be effective if it were Obama saying how much he liked McCain's economic and foreign policy.
-- Tim Fernholz
"Problems for Barack Obama" coming later in the day...
