John McCain: Harlem Globetrotter

[tannybogus]

In the last few days we have come to learn a lot about the John McCain Playbook. It features chapters like "How to Really Tick Off the National Press Corps," "Getting Talk Show Hosts to Loathe You," "Quarantining Your Running Mate From any Form of Meaningful Interaction with the Media," and the ever important "National Presidential Debates: How to Hold them Hostage to Your Awesome Maverick-y Whims."

The McCain campaign is fast becoming a gimmick machine, the Harlem Globetrotters of modern presidential campaigning (Look! There goes Steve Schmidt spraying water in the University of Mississippi's face, a la Meadowlark Lemon). For those who prefer football metaphors, the campaign is starting to resemble a team that runs nothing but trick plays (and, in an effort to achieve balance, lobs a couple of Hail Marys, as well).

Looking back, this does shed light on some of McCain forays into religious politicking. Cue the Globetrotters theme song, and consider the following: McCain's shocking announcement that he was a Baptist, not an Episcopalian. His out-of-the-blue insistence that this was a "Christian Nation." His attempt to bring Pastors Hagee and Parsley on board (even though he knew next to nothing about them). His release of The One ad. His release of The One Ad (part II). What emerges in hindsight is an image of a candidate who loves himself the gadgetry.

Looking forward, this raises the question of what is coming our way. If McCain's slide in the polls continues into October, what type of last-resort machinations can we expect in the field of Faith and Values campaigning? Lord knows I have been critical of Senator Obama, but one thing he has demonstrated is a refusal to go negative in the sphere of religious outreach. McCain has no such compunction and I am starting to wonder if religiously themed trick plays of the most distressing order await us in the coming weeks.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/georgetown/2008/09/john_mccain_harlem_globetrotte.html