Everybody remembers the flap over Barack's mis-speak regarding the name of the WWII German Concentration / Work camp which his Great Uncle Charlie's squadron (or something, not good on knowing military group names) liberated in the waning days of the war in the European theater.....
Followed by wild accusations of making things up, embellishing, etc. etc. etc.
What were the implications of that? They are myriad.
Barack Obama is clearly not a patriotic Amurikan, because he has to make things up about his family's military history. Probably, to influence the (ostensibly monolithic) Jewish Vote*.
To prove Obama's A 'real American', it's not good enough Grandpa Dunham served in the European theater.
Not good enough that Grandma Dunham was a "Rosie the Riveter" in a bomber assembly plant.
Clearly, Obama does not love his country, because now, he's making things up in order to appear to be part of a 'noble tradition' of defending 'freedom and the American Way'.
So, the 82nd Airborn comes forward with pictures of Uncle Charlie at the camp. And now, they have to shut up, because who is really going to dis the remaining 80+ year old squadron members?
Fast forward.
The moment of the convention I found most stunning was when Uncle Charlie was presented to America last night. It was completely unexpected. Uncle Charlie had slipped from my radar, quite frankly, as the flap died. "Meeting" him at the convention took my breath away.
I don't write "Obama's campaign must xyz" stuff. Because the Nominee and his group of people are so damned brilliant I can't even figure out all the ways.
So, there was Uncle Charlie, showing the world what one the Greatest Generation looks like now. A bent, and honorable 'warrior' standing up as a symbol against all that is wrong with the skullduggery of Rovian election theft.
Obama may not be good at bowling, but introducing Uncle Charlie was a strike (a strike is when you knock down all the pins, right?), in terms of strategy.
You wanna call me a liar? Here's the 82nd with proof.
You wanna call me a liar? Here's Uncle Charlie in the flesh.
You wanna say I'll not keep America safe? I descend from the military just like John McCain.
'Monolithic Jewish Voting Block'? Here's my Uncle Charlie, he liberated some of your relatives. (No doubt, Uncle Charles Payne's name is, or will soon be, on a tree on the Path of the Righteous Gentile in Israel.)
Oh, and by the way. Here's the patriotism door. You wanna question the patriotism of Barack Obama, with his family's history of military service?
To paraphrase one of my all time favorite Obama lines: "Go ahead, walk through that door. It's a debate I'm eager to have."
God. Those rethugs are so royally fucked. They haven't even realized it yet.
Thank you Uncle Charlie. For your service to freedom in the world, for being part of the family that produced Barack Obama, and for being one huge festering thorn the side of John McSame and the oozing wound which calls itself the Republican Party.
*Yes, I know there is no "Jewish Vote", I'm using pundit-speak.