Two Campaigns?

In Hong Kong now. Just flew overnight from London. Managed to read a bunch of newspapers and magazines on the flight (and actually turned off the new Indiana Jones movie it was so awful - and I'll watch a lot of crap). One thing I read in the Times of London was fascinating and implied something I hadn't given much thought before. I think all of us (i.e., the sensible us, not those on the right) have been wondering what is going on with the McCain campaign with the contender himself taking the "high road" at the debate and in recent town halls, where he has been rebuking those in audience referring to Obama as a terrorist and/or an Arab. (What a bizarre electoral moment where one presidential candidate has to defend the honor of his opponent over the shrill - and racist - voices of his own supporters.) But then his campaign is at the same time releasing ads that take a less honorable route, plus the Barracuda is doing the only thing that is in her pea-brained capacity, which is attacking and attacking and ....

What gives? This Times article left me with the distinct impression that Sarah P and her supporters are not conceding to McCain's more balanced campaign hopes and basically stumping as they see fit. They're going full frontal on the Democrats, labeling Obama a terrorist, and stirring up whatever angst they can. Did you see the McCain/Palin supporter who brought to one of these rallies a stuffed monkey with an Obama nametag on it? Sick and disgusting.

McCain's campaign head has said he'd prefer they lose with honor by taking a higher road but that is not the internal consensus. Thus, the apparent incoherence of the Republican campaign isn't necessarily a function of McCain's wavering, doddering mind but the fact that the original "Maverick" has been out-Maverick-ed by his unconscionable VP choice, who is supposedly drumming up support for a 2012 run herself. I'm pleased to see that a number of conservatives from across America have published opinions that basically signal that the McCain campaign has taken a sickening turn that they cannot stomach and will not support their original party of choice in November.

I hope these moral reprobrates continue their screed just long enough to cement the substantial Obama lead and lock in his rightful victory. Then again, let's hope they've done that already and please - for the sake of civil society and public safety - STOP NOW. I wasn't alive in the 1960s to see the civil rights movement, but I sense the sickness I feel when I see these Republican rallies is probably not distinct from what other white northern liberals felt at that time when witnessing pro-segregationist rallies.

By the way, I have been reading fivethirtyeight.com every day for the past few weeks. It's been a great source of insight into the countless election polls. The authors are left-leaning in some of their commentary but I believe they do a relatively unbiased job in presenting and describing the data. Check it out.