Why the Ayers attack won't work

October 7, 6:58 PMProgressive Politics ExaminerJay McDonough

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Given the energy the McCain/Palin camp is putting into linking Barack Obama and William Ayers, they clearly view it as their last hope to make up support they've lost as a result of a couple crappy debate performances and an economy that is teetering on the edge.

I just don't see it working.  Oh sure, there will be some folks that it re-energizes, but for most people that are wondering if their 401K will survive and what it would be like to have to live in their car, the McCain campaign's new Obama/Ayers strategy must seem like an indulgence they can't afford.  There are way too many other things to be terrified about right now, thank you very much.

I haven't seen a recent poll of top ten issues for voters lately.  But only a fool would believe the economy isn't sitting at #1, and dwarfing everything else by a wide, wide margin.  Education?  Sure, but now way down the list.  Health care?  Yeah, but at a third or fourth of the economy's numbers.  Climate change.  OK, but probably slipped to something like #6 or 7 on the list.  William Ayers?  You're kidding, right?

And it's not as if the Clinton's didn't work the Ayers connection through the primaries.  Both Hillary and Bill Clinton and countless campaign surrogates beat that dead horse repeatedly to minor effect.  The McCain campaigns choice to put all their eggs in the Ayers basket is the ultimate Hail Mary, the last gasp, "we're about to cry uncle" ploy.  Linking Obama and Ayers will get that segment of voters who have a visceral hate for Barack Obama spinning like tops and they'll just relish their hatred.  But for the remaining 98% of the electorate, they will A) vote for McCain because they believe his policies best match their own philosophies  B) vote for Obama because they intended to vote for him anyway C) understand that Ayers is unrepentent scum, but that doesn't automatically mean Obama is scum and D) think the McCain/Palin camp is only demonstrating how woefully out of touch and unfit they are to become president and vice president of the United States.

Look, I think Barack Obama should have walked away from anything having to do with William Ayers.  And, to that extent, it's an example of poor judgment on Obama's part.  I'm disappointed he did it.   But given the choice between Barack Obama and John McCain - well, there is no choice as far as I'm concerned.

No more than that couple percent of voters believe Obama shares Ayers radical beliefs.  The rest recognize it as a stupid move on Obama's part and as something all of us have to do at times in our life; cooperate with some real  a**holes in order to get something good done.