The Obama 30-minute spot was a brilliantly crafted film, designed to say one thing to wavering Americans: "I’m one of you, and I understand your troubles, too." 

All of the weeks of petty, inaccurate crapola from McCain, the smear merchantry behind the whispers and e-mails, the attempts to convince the doubters among us that "Obama is foreign" to give cover for racial prejudice as a means of urging folks to vote the worst in themselves?

"Suggesting Obama is foreign or unknown offers a cover for racism," she said. "You can’t say he is black and unfit to be president, but you can say that he is Muslim and therefore unfit to be president."

Contrary to what the smears have pushed about Obama, it is those self-same tactics which have been so unforgivably unAmerican. Which call out to the worst of what is in us, and deliberately stoke the prejudices and hatred in our society to further divide the nation. Why? Because the GOP cannot win on its tired, failed ideas in another round of retread politics.

Instead of coming up with better solutions to long-standing problems?  They preferred to fling poo.  

Divisive and bitterly damaging — perhaps McCain has nothing else. His well has been dry for a long, long time. As has the Republican party, which has been running on the fumes of fear and smear for far too long.

Take a little time to watch the full Obama ad from last night (YouTube above), and then watch this from McCain (YouTube below).

You tell me: which one looks like a leader? And which one just looks like a petty, bitter, small man resorting to "terrah terrah boogah ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" tactics that ask you not to think for yourself but only fear and smear.