This Is How We Do It

***Note that this is from my guest-post on Attackerman yesterday.  Dear Spencer was celebrating Yom Kippur***

Good morning! I'm very glad to fill in for Spencer again. I didn't get a chance to express to you, Attackerman's legion, how grateful I was for your engagement with me during my last guest-blogging stint. Thank you. You're some of the smartest folks around and I'm honored that you have me so graciously.

Now...forgive my early morning ramble:

I can't seem to figure out how to embed it, but there is video of Michelle Obama on Larry King (h/t This Week With Barack Obama). It's long -- 22 minutes -- but I think worth it.

Unsurprisingly, she is an excellent example of how to behave as a public political figure. She's prepared. She answers questions without holding forth on talking points, unless the talking points are directly applicable. What is most admirable is how she says she deals with what I term as "lying vitriol." She says she rolls with it, which honestly, can be the only way to deal. She is a better man than I am. As is Sen. Obama.

The McCain campaign's well-worn GOP strategy to win by using inflammatory tactics makes me grieve for meaningful political discourse. (See what I did there?) This behavior is nothing new but I now admit to being naive. I thought surely this year, with so much dangerously amiss with our country, the candidates will be forced to deal with issues. Hahahahahahahahaaaa. And yet...Mrs. Obama graciously waves off the McCain attack without assigning blame to either Sen. McCain, Cindy McCain or Gov. Palin.

Of course, this is poli-speak, but her reaction gives me the opinion that even when hearing the lying vitriol in the privacy and comfort of her own home, she merely shakes her head and "mmm, mmm, mmm's." Which, I venture to say, is what gets Sen. McCain's goat. Neither Sen. Obama nor Michelle Obama will engage in those tactics completely undermining his scorched-earth strategy. (Did I do it again?) Sen. McCain is bombing barren territory; no one is there to either be harmed or fight back. They're somewhere else dealing with something else. My mother was right. If you walk away from a bully, you take away his armament.

That's not to say that I believe Sen. Obama can't throw down when it's necessary. Part of the reason I support him is also because he's no punk. I suspect, though, his throwing down is performed with surgical instruments. If you watched during the debate as Sen. McCain was angrily prowling the stage issuing (untrue) attacks, Sen. Obama sat there in his chair, long legs splayed assuredly, with a benign smile betraying no animosity whatsoever. Good lord, that's the man I want across the table from those who would murder us -- smile on his face, thinking 3 moves ahead with Petraeus in his pocket.

Happy new year, Spencer.