Michael Crowley opens his piece in the New Republic on the enmity between Obama and McCain with part of the explanation for the bad blood.
Though they differ in many ways, John McCain and Barack Obama have one thing in common: Each sees the other as a posturing phony. When McCain talks about Obama on the stump, he trades his typical graciousness for sarcasm and contempt. When McCain lectured Obama about the future of Iraq last week, he did so with what The New York Times called "a tone of belittlement in his voice." McCain has also called Obamamania a swindle. "America is not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change that promises no more than a holiday from history," he said in Wisconsin last month. And he has huffed that "I don't seek the presidency on the presumption that I am blessed with personal greatness." After Obama issued a press release last May noting that conditions were still dangerous enough in Iraq that McCain had been forced to wear a "flack jacket" during a public tour of a Baghdad market, a McCain release taunted Obama for his inexperience, adding, "By the way, Senator Obama, it's a 'flak' jacket, not a 'flack' jacket." For good measure, an unnamed McCain aide drove home the point to the Politico, saying that "Obama wouldn't know the difference between an RPG and a bong."
One commenter notes that McCain is kind of short. Obama is tall. McCain is angry, Obama (more of a grown-up) keeps his cool. This is eighth grade, remember. Cool works. Chances are (the commenter suggests) McCain will be driven to a typical McCain at explosion at some point. Self-destruct. Crowley describes one "go postal" McCain moment. There will be others, for sure.
By the way, Senator McC., you might be interested in some other people who get 'flak' and 'flack' jackets criminally wrong. Oh, just some stingy senators and the entire Department of Defense...
