Mark — I am choosing to believe that Senator McCain, like so many well-intentioned, educated, white men of his generation and gentlemanly instincts would go far to shy away from giving offense on the freighted issue of race. Jeremiah Wright is a parody of a crazy black liberation theologian, huffing and puffing away there. I think McCain was wrong not to take the issue on as a sign of Obama’s very flawed judgement about the nature of America in general and, more particularly, about what message black America needs to hear. But it is clear from the reversal that someone at the campaign has persuasively made the case. Someone gets it, and there probably won’t be a lot of going back. I wouldn’t be surprised if they poll-tested the issue, and I am sure they got a lot of e-mail flack from supporters. I don’t like that our team is squeamish when the stakes are so high. But, as flaws go, being a bit too much of a gentleman is better than being power-mad and willing to say or do anything to get where you want to be… unless you lose because of your manners.
And bravo to Rove if he created Wright!