John McCain has been visibly revitalized by this Georgian conflict. Some wondered if he was overreaching. Now comes the Georgian president asking him to go from "Words to Deeds".
I think this is the tipping point.
Americans are obviously not ready for another conflict, especially one with a country which many never even thought about before seven days ago. Are they going to want a president who is positioning us to respond to conflicts in Eastern Europe?
I would guess that most Americans today would prefer to avoid the conflict and allow Russia to overthrow a democratic Georgian government than to get involved. And I would guess that many would vote against the man who would seem to be directing us to a conflict with Russia.
No one wants to see this happen but elections are about choices and right now the U.S. is not in any position to saber rattle. I am not sure we could successfully invade Grenada right now (slightly kidding). I know that there are many who still fear the cold-war complex but does anyone think that this is the beginning of a Russian Empire as McCain suggests? I doubt it, and I doubt that many people see the impending return of the Soviet Union either.
So I think this was an overreach by the McCain campaign. And now that even his friend Saakashvili has called him out for his empty rhetoric, I think he may pay a political price for it.