The Gloves Are Off For Good

by digby

It would appear that McCain has started the fall campaign a little bit earlier than they might have planned due to their candidates’ unfortunate habit of being a fool.

In response to Obama’s aggressive moves today, they came out swinging with the first full on Rezko attacks and one of their 527s launched a series of ads about Obama’s relationship with 60s bomber William Ayers.

I don’t know if either of those attacks — or the sure-to-come Jeremiah Wright smears and some others we may not have thought of — will stick. Perhaps none of them will. But the point of these things isn’t to take Obama out with one fatal blow. It’s to keep raising doubts about the new guy and keep him from sealing the deal with the American people. The death by a thousand rapier swipes.

One thing is for sure. When they are attacked by the Democrats they are going to attack back. They aren’t playing defense. And when they aren’t being attacked by the Democrats they are also going to attack. This campaign is going to be vicious.

Will it work? I wouldn’t have thought so a few months ago. Now I’m less sure. But there’s no use debating the point. The Obama campaign is on notice: they are going to be under relentless attack until November. Whether they just endure it or fight back, those are the conditions under which this election campaign will be waged. The gloves ain’t going back on.

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