McCain Moves into the Surreal; TV and Kids

First the election: McCain's latest ad moves beyond the realm of understand, into the surreal -- arguing that Obama is just too popular to be president. (http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-tone31-2008jul31,0,3819744,print.story) Huh? While the ad seems absurd to the point of nonsensical, I wonder if it is part of the building strategy to show that "Obama isn't one of us." (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/us/politics/31campaign.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print) The question is does this mean he is an elitist, an out-of-touch liberal American or, huh, maybe just a Black man that many Republicans believe is a Muslim? And the comparisons to Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton while funny is really a new low. The point though is it could very well work. Americans love an underdog and they also love a president they believe at some level is like them. Obama is hard-pressed to fit in that role, while McCain can continue to play on the largely positive perspective of the media and general public to congeal right into that mold. But how low will he go, appears to be the question of the hour? Of course, according to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius in his fawing op-ed today, none of this is his fault (he's just being manipulated by those around him): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/30/AR2008073002948_pf.html. In response, one might ask if his entire theme of being more ready to serve as commander in chief isn't undermined by the fact he can't seem to come up with a reason to be president except "better of two evils" and can't seem to stand up for himself against the wishes of his advisors.

On a cultural note, two recent reports have fueled the arguments about TV and children:

1) A study by Cornell that appears to provide evidence that the skyrocketing rates of autism are related to television viewing in the early years (before age 4): http://www.slate.com/id/2151538. So those immunization shots might not be so bad after all; it's Disney, the Cartoon Network, Miley Cyrus and the rest of the made-for-young children TV that really deserve a second look (but by researchers and parents, not kids!)
2) A report by the APA that "Baby Borrowers" may cause harm to young children and adolescent's mental health. Don't worry though, NBC thinks it a good way to sell the show, and that's all that really matters, right?
http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2008/07/30/baby_borrowers/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/broadsheet