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Mccain Takes After Obama--again

Sounds like John McCain had seen the same exit polls we had by the time he gave his victory speech just now. Lots of shots at Obama's empty rhetoric, inexperience, confused ideas, etc. Even a shot at Michelle Obama's recent quip that she's proud of her country for the first time in her adult life. ("I've never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I haven't been proud" of serving my country, McCain said.)

My colleague John Judis e-mails to say Mark Salter (McCain's longtime chief of staff) is a talented speechwriter. I agree, but think McCain's going to have to rein in the snideness a bit if he ends up facing Obama. I'm not sure if it's the speech or the delivery, but, over time, it could make him sound like an angry old man. As Bob Dole learned in 1996 (and, for that matter, George H.W. Bush in 1992), most people don't vote strictly on biography and experience, however noble or impressive it looks next to your opponent's.

--Noam Scheiber