Chris Bowers thinks the "McCain campaign is clearly trying to push the age card," emphasizing his age in order to gain advantage with the huge senior voting bloc in states like Florida and Pennsylvania. Bowers and Marc Ambinder call attention to the visuals in the ad, especially the closing profile photograph, which clearly shows the lines in McCain's face.

Although McCain may be hoping for a "senior backlash" against Obama, I don't think that's what he's getting at in this ad. Close your eyes and listen to what he is saying, especially the first lines in the ad:

Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war. When I was five years old, my father left for war. My grandfather came home from war and died the next day. I was shot down over Vietnam and spent five years as a POW. Some of the friends I served with never came home.

I hate war, and I know how terrible its costs are. I'm running for president to keep the country I love safe. I'm John McCain, and I approved this message.

Gee, who do you think he's referring to when he says only a fool or a fraud talks tough about war?

The subtext of this ad is clear: McCain is telling us that he understands what war means (unlike Bush), that he has lost family members and close friends in war (unlike Bush), and he is not going to swagger around as president, excited by the prospect of starting more wars.

It sounds as if McCain's campaign is worried about the public taking him at his word when he said staying in Iraq for 50 to 100 years would be fine by him.

We need to keep reminding Americans that McCain wants permanent U.S. bases in Iraq and has no problem with our troops staying there forever. It also wouldn't hurt to show clips of his comment from last year: "I'm sorry to tell you, there's gonna be other wars."

This You Tube parody from a few months back made the point effectively. Pass it around:

The tag line at the end is classic: McCain 08--Like Hope, but Different.