Other reviewers have coverd the important points. This plain talking piece cuts through the bull.

This is an indignant opinion piece by Bob Herbert that takes McCain to task for both subtle and glaring swipes at Obama because of his race. Some of the accusations concerning sexual images may be over the top but on the whole, the piece has the ring of truth and seems persuasive to me.

What Herbert says is true and needs to be said. He does a fair job of summing up the McCain camp's shoddy and dishonest campaign tactics. Even though this is an opinion piece, I have to knock off a point for presenting the info in an emotional style that detracts from credibility.

In a few well-written paragraphs, Bob Herbert captures the essence of the dirty campaign John McCain is running while masquerading as a gentleman above the fray. In my view, McCain's mental faculties are so clearly declining that his handlers have to try to focus on Obama in the same sort of smear campaign the Republican candidate ran in 2000 and 2004. Rather pathetic. . .

Thanks to Herbert for just stating the obvious and being willing to talk about the elephant in the room. Yes, race will be an issue in this election whether people are willing to admit it to pollsters or not. Yes the McCain is using it and will continue to do it and deny it. It is as clear as the nose on my lily-white face. What is less clear is whether others besides Herbert will have the integrity to out them on it. And whether or not American voters will respond to the sleaze positively or negatively.

This is a hard-hitting opinion piece in which Mr. Herbert rightly takes McCain to the woodshed for his scurrilous attacks on Obama. He argues McCain has lost all claim to call himself "high-minded" or "civil" in his campaigning. There is no depth McCain won't sink to in order to successfully damage Obama politically, even if it means calling him unpatriotic or treasonous. The gloves are off and Mr. Herbert wins a bare-knuckle, multiple knockdown knockout.

I must say I missed the racial aspect of the Britney Spears ad. I thought the point was that Obama is an empty suit celebrity. Race, class, gender - these things undoubtedly influence voters, but they are not that important. If Obama loses it won't be because of race. It will because his program is to turn the US into some version of France.