Let's see how this works. McCain runs his Britney/Paris ad on the alleged but improbable basis that they're the #2 and #3 celebs in the world, according to Rick Davis. McCain camp seizes on Obama statement that Obama has made multiple times before, accuses him of playing "race card". Now McCain repeats Race Card, Race Card, Race Card a hundred times.

McCain has made the strategic decision that he can only win the election on the basis of Obama as friend of terrorists, unpatriotic suspicious outsider and radical, black guy who's really more a flashy showbiz star (call it playing the Diddy card) than someone with the heft to be president. He's probably right. That's his only chance. And it may work.