Wow the Gloves Really Are Off

Only in this current near-hysterical political climate could we have a Rhetorical Situation where Jeralyn Merritt is linking to and celebrating posts by disaffected Republican, Andrew Sullivan.

But really. What better evidence could there be that as we enter the homestretch, McCain's cynicism and lack of honor has hit such heights that is has arguably performed Obama's "Unity" message through the backdoor, as it were. John S. McCain has, in other words, perhaps done a favor, having "United" a lot of very different Americans simply by scaring the bejeezus out of us. For his part, Harrogate is doing everything he can to hold out optimism, and trust that voters in a state like Colorado will see through McCain's banal play to the worst in all of us.

From Sullivan:

And then, because he could see he was going to lose, ten days ago, he threw caution to the wind and with no vetting whatsoever, picked a woman who....was going to reignite the culture war as a last stand against Obama. That's all that is happening right now: a massive bump in the enthusiasm of the Christianist base. This is pure Rove.

Yes, McCain made a decision that revealed many appalling things about him. In the end, his final concern is not national security. No one who cares about national security would pick as vice-president someone who knows nothing about it as his replacement. No one who cares about this country's safety would gamble the security of the world on a total unknown because she polled well with the Christianist base. ....

McCain has demonstrated in the last two months that he does not have the character to be president of the United States. And that is why it is more important than ever to ensure that Barack Obama is the next president. The alternative is now unthinkable. And McCain - no one else - has proved it.

Harrogate's emphasis with that last paragraph. Because, Wow. Nailed it.