Once Again, Obama Plays Race Card

This time, Obama is preying upon Latinos, running an ad which falsely smears McCain as anti-Hispanic. The Spanish-speaking ad accuses McCain of "intolerance" and of "insulting" Latinos, of "abandoning" them in favor of "special interest."

The ad quotes Rush Limbaugh in an insincere attempt to link the firebrand commentator to McCain. Firstly, McCain and Limbaugh have long been at odds on immigration and Latino issues, so the comparison is a false one. Also, Limbaugh's words, while indelicate, are both misquoted and taken out of context - one of the two quotes was obviously spoken in sarcasm, in an attempt to express absurdity.

Obama's ad is obviously erroneous, and seems to have been the product of an intentional desire to deceive and smear. However, it follows on the heels of (and was likely inspired by) a preceding McCain ad which laid the blame for failed immigration reform at the feet of Obama and congressional Democrats (though Obama himself voted for the McCain-Kennedy bill). The difference, however, is that McCain attacked policies, whereas Obama smeared character. The difference is substantial.

And so goes the immigration debate: low and dirty and in Spanish - so as not to rile any feathers up north, where the issue has gone stale. But perfectly targeted at the Latino audience which yet counts the matter as paramount. Immigration will soon disappear from the radar again - but the smears and negative ads, I'm afraid to say, are here to stay.