2006 back story: Revelations on Gramm-pa McCain v. Barack Obama

By GottaLaff

I hate to simply link without much explanation, but this really deserves more than I can fit here. Essentially, the "rivalry" between Grammps and Obama goes back to when the former was setting himself up for a presidential run, making sure the latter was firmly and pre-emptively put in his place.

At the time Obama's star was definitely rising and I remember thinking this old guy is mad as hell that he is being shown-up by this "young upstart". Perhaps it was even more calculated than that. Certainly in 2006 McCain already had this election in mind and the word presidential was being applied to Senator Obama. I felt at the time it was a preemptive smear, trying to knock Obama down a few pegs before he became too much of a threat. [...]

I didn't remember Obama's reply but upon reading it all I could think was how consistent it was with the sort of campaign he has run. Unfortunately it would seem McCain has been consistent as well.

Check out the link and relive the early days, when the bile was just beginning to rise.

And Josh Marshall responds to the above e-mail from one of his readers:

You can really see the kernel of this campaign's psychodrama (in more than one sense of the word) in this first exchange.

In order: Obama's February 2006 letter: Link. Grammps' response: Link. Josh Marshall's 2006 analysis: Link.