It's About the Disrespect

I'm so glad that this whole no handshake thing seems to have legs. It seemed, to me, to be nothing more than an awkward moment in the middle of an awful lot of hand-shaking. Nothing more than McCain steering Obama's waiting hand into his wife's.

But this is exactly the sort of thing where, if the tables were turned, it would be shouted down from the high heavens and leading every newscast. Simply put, the conservative movement has become expert at throwing fits about the silliest shit and turning it into something important. It's about time the other side of the aisle learned to do the same.

And what's important here is the barely concealed contempt that Senator McCain feels for his rival. It's of a piece with not looking at him during the first debate. It's on the same level as calling him “that one”. At a certain point, it's not a string of coincidences but a series of significant revelations.

McCain doesn't think that Obama's fit to share the same stage with him. He looks down on him because he's younger, because he's winning, perhaps even because of darker implications. But the man doesn't respect his opponent. And that speaks volumes about him.