Right. If the Obama campaign was as confident in their position at this point as the various talking heads are then they’d just laugh it off and focus on their message of the week.
The Keating Five is old, old news, and at the end of the day, McCain was found not to have done anything wrong.
Meanwhile, associating with a known and unrepentant terrorist over a decade, working closely with him on the board of a foundation, and using his support to launch your political career speaks to one’s judgement. It also, IMO, speaks to one’s patriotism, or lack thereof. Keating Five is about old inside Washington baseball. Ayers is about who exactly Obama is and what his core beliefs might be.
McCain’s experience with Keating Five made him vigilant about campaign finance and ethics in general and led to McCain-Feingold. Obama’s really done nothing with Ayers other than trying to downplay the relationship and then the tepid ‘throw under the bus’ routine.
Keating Five is really a weak response as the question the Ayers relationship raises is about whether or not Obama really cares about this country as he says he does or whether he harbors the kind of feelings towards this country that Ayers does.
It also makes Obama appear desperate to change the subject. If Ayers isn’t that important, why are you so ready to go nuclear (as if Keating 5 is so) at the mere mention of your relationship with him? Methinks someone protests too much.
Plus, he has many more shady affiliations than with just Ayers..
Me too. Very good analysis and I agree 100%. I think McCain telegraphing his plans has put Obama completely off and it is showing going back to Keating 5 which is laughable.