Unfortunately, instead of focusing in what Sen. Obama says in this speech - what good do the negative ads do in furthering the political debate we so desperately need - the corporate media, which I just turned off in disgust, is focusing tonight on whether Barack Obama "played the race card," whatever that crap means.

The "race card" was played by the GOP in 1964 and every election since then.

Boy, we need Barack in the White House in 2009. Let's get the job done!

Since I do not have a television set, thanks for your comment about the corporate media's asking, "did Obama play the race card?" How irrelevant, misleading, and incorrect---- a deliberate diversion from the substance of Obama's comments.

Trivializing the election for the President of the United States is clearly the intent of the corporate media.*  Is this really the sort of crap they plan to continue to offer? I suppose this was high-powered analysis by highly paid commentators and pundits. They cannot seem to get off Republican talking points, as I suppose they are paid to do. As a voter, I am insulted by such banality. Aside from that, I think Obama handled the McCain sludge attack well, although the lady in the lilac-colored dress behind him did not seem impressed.
*Why do they do this? Do they know something we don't? That it makes no difference who gets elected President, the real power now lies elsewhere? Hmmm.

From what I was reading earlier, the "Race Card" thing was brought up by the McCain Campaign.

Classy.

every breath we talk about Obama  etc etc  takes away from what we should be talking about

4 dollar gas
cratering real estate
Health care out the window
war in Iraq

The plain evilness of republicans

we cannot allow any instance of mud slinging or swiftboating of Obama to go unawered immediately. Doing that, then, you're right, there should be an immediate segue into McBush... which is indeed a fertile field to plow.

I think that this serious-minded chiding of the McCain campaign for the "Celebrity" ad by both Obama and the campaign's surrogates yesterday and today is the wrong tack. I think that being offended, troubled, disappointed, or saddened by that video sends the wrong message and actually has given it more credibility and effectiveness.

Instead, I think the reaction should be astonished wide eyes, piteous looks, puzzlement, and laughter. The message of the day should be "In all my years in politics I've never seen anything as odd and desperate as this. I know we are running a tight, focused, winning campaign that is beating the pants off the Republicans, but I didn't think we were doing this well. We aren't bothered or threatened by comparisons to celebrities: its just funny, and just makes us feel sorry for our counterparts in the McCain camp."

Yesterday's Washington Post article painted a picture of a McCain campaign structure in meltdown. Lets go with that... and even though I think the campaign made a serious mistake over the last couple of days, the new "The One" ad gives us another chance... especially since it is even more bizarre than the first one.