A chat today with Obama's David Axelrod.

Here we have the McCain campaign's execrable Michael Goldfarb slinging around accusations of anti-semitism--a favorite pastime, as we've seen this year, among Jewish neoconservatives. I've never met Rashid Khalidi, but he is (a) Palestinian and therefore (b) a semite, so the charge of anti-semitism is fatuous. Khalidi is also a respected academic, the sort of person who is involved in foundation work that John McCain, for one, was willing to support financially. I'd say that if we have a bigot here, it's Mr. Goldfarb who, if he's intent on calling people antisemitic--or any other epithet--should be required to provide chapter and verse, which he does not do on CNN. (I'd also like to know on what basis CNN's Rick Sanchez can stipulate that Khalidi is antisemitic.)

Yes, it is perhaps the oldest cliche in politics to say that everything is riding on turnout. But take a look at the data for Georgia and Missouri in the latest TIME/CNN poll. In both states, McCain holds a narrow lead among "likely" voters (those who traditionally vote), but Obama leads among registered (the kind of result you get if turnout is huge).

UPDATE: (And h/t Jim Poniewozik, for calling this to my attention.) Might the above-mentioned poll explain why McCain doubled his ad units in Georgia yesterday?

There is so much desperate, crapulous spew from the McCain campaign right now that it's hard to keep track of it all--but this ad, via Andrew Sullivan, marks some sort of low. Yet again--in a last, desperate attempt to scare the elderly Jews of Florida--McCain posits Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the "leader" of Iran, even though he has no control over Iranian foreign or military policy. (Ayatullah Ali Khamenei is the guy in charge in Iran, which is why they call him--you guessed it--the Supreme Leader.) Yet again, McCain brings up the notion of "preconditions," only now the preconditions are Ahmadinejad's: namely, that the U.S. would have to leave the Middle East before he'd be willing to talk.

It's all inflammatory nonsense, of course. Obama has said that he would meet with the Iranian leadership without "preconditions"--namely, the Bush Administration requirement that the Iranians stop processing uranium. Of course, the Bush Administration doesn't seem so set on that precondition anymore, either. Again, this is a purposeful effort to mislead on Obama's actual position: he would begin lower-level negotiations with the Iranians, and see how much progress could be made. That is a position supported by many of McCain's own diplomatic supporters.

But that's not really what this is all about: this ad--with its Middle Eastern music--is all about implying that Obama isn't one of us, that he's one of them. It is shameful, in the extreme. It's also really bad policy.

Ana, 

In your below post you wrote:

Any VP candidate who isn't thinking about running for president one day is probably less trustworthy than one who is -- in part because they are probably thinking even darker thoughts. Two words, people: DICK CHENEY.

Am curious -- would you therefore call Joe Biden "less trustworthy"? Every indication from Obama camp when he was hired was that Biden (who is 65 and in eight-years time would be 73, even older than McCain is now) has no further presidential ambitions -- as David Wilhelm told me:

"For Joe, that was his last race, and if it worked out, great — if not, he still had this great future as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee," says David Wilhelm, a close adviser to Biden who ran the Delaware Senator's Iowa campaign in 1988 and who endorsed Obama early in the campaign. "He was really at peace throughout the whole process."

Politico reports this morning that Al and Tipper Gore will campaign for Obama tomorrow in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach – the first time the former vice president has stumped for a presidential candidate in the Sunshine State since his narrow loss there cost him the presidency in 2000.

The Goracle's trip comes after Obama held a midnight rally with Bill Clinton last night and broadcast live before 20,000 Sunrise, Floridians and millions of Americans for his 30-minute commercial. This morning we've just landed in Sarasota where Obama is scheduled to hold an early voting rally.

All of this points to an Obama bet that Florida could be an early clincher for him. Polls here close 7pm EST and if he takes Florida and simply holds the rest of Kerry's 2004 states it's game over for McCain. A DCCC source says to keep an eye on the vulnerable GOP Miami House races for an early indicator on how Dems are playing there on Election Night.

Early voting looks promising for Obama where registered Dems are outpacing GOP voters 45.4% to 39.0%, though there's no way of telling which way those ballots were cast. Obama holds a 3.5% lead in the RCP average and a 4% lead in our latest poll. And, taking no chances, Obama deployed his ground game guru Steve Hildebrand to Miami three weeks ago. Also lurking around the Sunshine State: Paul Tewes, the guy who won Iowa for him and had been Obama's liaison to the DNC, who's been hanging out at Obama's Tampa HQ. (Both men are mailing in their day jobs from Florida).

The speculation in Washington about an Obama presidency.

Bill Clinton and Barack Obama just wrapped up their Kissimmee love fest where the two spent much of the event praising one another. Though, 42 did have one really awkward moment. Noting the diverse crowd – both in terms of age and race – Clinton said: 

You've even got a few grey-headed, white guys like me. You haven't shut my demographic out yet.

 Um, hopefully he wasn't really highlighting that Obama is losing the older male white vote in most states… or mean to imply that the Democratic Party is being taken over by minorities?