Puzzled

John McCain has identified with the most unpopular programs of the most unpopular President in recent memory, been associated with crooks and scoundrels, and has conducted one of the most inept campaigns I've seen. His party is justifiably blamed for almost every mess the country is in, and that's plenty. He is a bully and a lout who cheated on his wife, lied about it publicly, and told coarse and demeaning jokes about women and children. He was a terrible student who got a plum Navy assignment through family connections, and whose military experience was mainly as a prisoner of war.

Not too smart ever, he has been a regular Mr. Malaprop in public, confusing Sunni and Shia, and showing total confusion about the geographic relations of the world's most dangerous problem countries.

Nevertheless, pitted against the smartest and most charismatic politician in recent memory, he is still managing to run even or almost even.

I can only think of two plausible explanations, both justified by my conversations with people I know: racism and the continuing power of the mighty right wing lie machine.

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