[McCain, finally finding traction on the baseball issue?]

After McCain pulled his campaign out of Colorado, Iowa, and New Mexico today, he also announced to a crowd of warehoused Republicans that he’s officially backing out of the World Series, too.  As quoted here by the AP’s Glen Johnson, the poor guy who has to sit through the death throes of the McCain campaign, McCain tried a new tactic this week by tying Obama’s baseball flip-floppery into the nation’s bigger troubles.  When reporting on this yesterday, I chose the low road, noting that Obama simply dumped the Sox as he had other unsavory South Side relationships, including Bill Ayers, Tony Rezco, Rev Jeremiah Wright, and visits to Jimbo‘s, whom the Gods of good food have finally shut down.  Honestly, it’s the kind of place where the roaches complain about the customers!  Ba-da-bing!  But as to the serious issues facing our nation, I give you over to Mr. Johnson’s report:

McCain told several hundred people standing in a cavernous warehouse: “Now, I’m not dumb enough to get mixed up in a World Series between swing states. But I think I may have detected a little pattern with Sen. Obama. It’s pretty simple really. When he’s campaigning in Philadelphia, he roots for the Phillies, and when he’s campaigning in Tampa Bay, he `shows love’ to the Rays.”

As a chorus of boos built, he added:”It’s kind of like the way he campaigns on tax cuts, but then votes for tax increases after he’s elected. Or the way he says he backs the middle class and then goes and attacks Joe the Plumber after Sen. Obama’s asked a tough question. What’s that all about?”

In fact, Obama did not attack Joe the Plumber; rather he criticized McCain for suggesting that the Ohio plumber who wants to purchase the plumbing business where he works is in the same economic shape as most working class voters.

McCain’s reference to Obama’s comments about the two baseball teams was meant to reinforce one of his larger themes: that Obama lacks the experience and character to be president.