Charlie Black’s gaffe lives on and on. After initially feigning outrage (the Obama camp said nothing when Hillary Clinton said the same thing and many Democrats agree it’s true), the Obama team has stopped making a fuss about Black’s comment that a terror incident would help John McCain. I think it’s obvious why: the last thing the Obama camp wants to do is have voters be thinking, “Gee, who do I want to be president in a national security crisis?”

Some may argue that there is limited upside on this front for McCain, since voters care so much more about domestic issues. While true that more voters are concerned about domestic issues the presidential candidate still needs to “clear the bar” — Hillary’s point of raising the 3 a.m. issue — before voters will feel comfortable putting him in the Oval Office. Moreover, the gaffe stirred the pot, reminding voters that they should be more interested in this issue. All the more reason for the Obama camp to pipe down mighty fast about Black’s remark.

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