Quick 8: Everyone Agrees

The blogosphere is abuzz with the notion that John McCain is a coward. I've been disappointed that there haven't been more people out there calling him out on this. Sure, everyone has been calling him out on his lies and hypocrisy ... but cowardice is the type of charge that might just send the old codger over the edge.

I am continually amazed that someone who survived the Hanoi Hilton could be such a political coward. The man has never taken a stand on principle. The man refused to confront Obama face to face at the debate with the same slurs that he and his despicable running mate have been spreading on the campaign trail. Cowardice has become par for the course for Mr. McCain.

1. Former Republican John Cole, like myself, is glad to see the bloggers calling McCain out for his pathetic behavior. Cole doesn't mince words and he takes it to McCain like a prize fighter. This quote is right on: "John McCain is a coward. John McCain would rather hide behind his wife and Sarah Palin than say it himself.".
2. At Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall makes the best possible point about calling out McCain's cowardice. "(N)ow Obama can lightly taunt McCain with that very cowardice, his inability to just say it to his face. And if my take on the inner workings of McCain's mind at the moment is right that should simply unhinge him even more."
3. BarbinMD at Daily Kos is as blunt as anyone when she says, "McCain didn't have the guts to mention Ayers name while face-to-face with Obama, instead waiting until he was safely back in his cocoon of race-baiting rallies and Fox News interviews before going with his latest lie and smear campaign." Her point is indisputable, is it not?
4. Jay McDonough notes that "Obama doesn't seem too afraid that the Ayers accusation will come up. In fact, it sure seems like he's daring John McCain to raise the issue." We're in agreement here. I suspect that Obama would like nothing more than for McCain to raise the issue at the next debate. The dumb old fool is playing right into Obama's hands.
5. On that note, Kevin Drum says the Obama people are "just playing mind games with the old guy. I wonder if it'll work?" I think it will Kevin. McCain has too much invested in his phony honor to allow this talk to continue.
6. The cowardice charge has been best summed up by Dave Winer at the Huffington Post. "I expected McCain, a supposed man of honor, to address the personal integrity issues about Obama in yesterday's debate. He didn't. I visualize McCain as a coward hiding behind the skirts of his running mate, without the guts to say to Obama's face, the terrible things they've been accusing him of when he's not present to defend himself. Either you have the honor to say it to his face, or don't say it behind his back, or don't pretend to have honor and courage, to love your country and to put it first."
7. It wasn't just bloggers getting into the act. Joe Biden got a good head of steam going today about this. "Well, in my neighborhood, when you've got something to say to a guy, you look him in the eye and you say it to him." The only thing better than Biden calling McCain out on this, would be Obama calling him out.
8. Which he did. He did it in his typical fashion. He was calm. He didn't rant. He didn't even use the work coward. Instead, he just acted surprised that McCain didn't "say it to my face". Obama has put it out there, and now McCain doesn't have much choice but to answer the challenge at the next debate, or risk his own side calling him a coward.