III. Wright Returns!
Story: After months of McCain refusing to "go there," third-party groups and state Republican parties have begun to air ads in Florida and Pennsylvania (and on the cable-news networks) attacking Obama for associating with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. "Wright was his mentor, adviser and close friend," the announcer intones. "For 20 years Obama never complained--until he ran for President."
Desired Effect: Remind voters that Obama's pastor said some pretty offensive stuff; revive subliminal fears of Obama's "otherness."
Actual Effect: Might affect voters suffering from short-term memory loss. But Noam Scheiber ably explains why it won't work with the folks who could actually propel McCain to victory in the Keystone State: "A huge number of... Democrats and unaffiliateds either voted in April's primary or thought about doing so, meaning they're already familiar with Jeremiah Wright (who made more than a cameo in the run-up). Which is to say, Wright's probably baked in the cake for most of these people; the Democrats and Independents who tell pollsters they support Obama are supporting him despite Wright, not because they're unaware of him. So McCain's unlikely to win many of them via last-minute introductions."