TPM Reader ER ...

In your piece about the tennesse RNC emphasizing the Hussein in Barack Obama's name, I believe you have missed an important dynamic. When Mr. Cunningham made his statements, John McCain was lauded for denouncing said remarks. Now everyone is squawking about the "Hussein" and John McCain and the National Republicans don't have to soil their hands with the proxy grade-school name-calling campaign. I predict a pattern will develop, local and state level Republican operatives will repeatedly emphasize the "Hussein" only to be chastised by more powerful GOP who would like to appear more temperate while amplifying the message. The media will be unable to resist the he said she said middle school dynamic and the chattering class will do the heavy lifting for the GOP. As a side benefit, those localities where race baiting plays well with the electorate will this sort of name-calling will energize the base, so they will be the primary source of such utterances.

This is part of it too. It's all part of the same game. The one McCain is playing.