I sometimes wonder if Richard Cohen doesn't wake up in the morning and ask the musical question "how can I fuck with Sir Charles today?" Well, alright that may indicate a paranoid, self aggrandizing, and solipsistic state of mind, but it doesn't mean it isn't true.
Today's gem can be summed up thusly -- Obama was never tortured by the North Vietnamese, therefore, he can never have the same "character" as John McCain. And for that reason, Cohen can permissibly forgive McCain all of his myriad flip flops not simply because he likes the feel of St. John's manhood between his cheek and gums, but because, as a Platinum guest at the Hanoi Hilton, McCain seemingly has won a lifetime exemption from questioning by the Washington media. According to Cohen, Obama's flip flops, on the other hand, "matter more than similar acts by McCain." (No that really is a quote.)
Oh, by the way, did you know that a "presidential race is only incidentally about issues. It's really about likability and character." That's what Richard tells me. This is classic Village nihilism -- those pesky issues, are just so much detail. Why if you spend time worrying about them it will limit your ability to hoover cocktail weenies.
You really need to read this piece as it is a classic of the genre.
Our friends at Sadly, No! take him apart long form and with style.
