Attack Teflon Barack, and You'll Be Sorry

Barack Obama has accepted a lot of apologies this election cycle, and each has made the Democrat stronger, notes Politico writer Ben Smith. From Joe Biden’s “articulate and … clean” gaffe to Bill Cunningham’s attempts to accent his middle name, opponents are always stepping over a line with Obama, and with every apology he appears more gracious, rising above the fray—and foes.

Most of the gaffes are linked to Obama's heritage, proof that race is still a touchy subject in America, Smith writes. By whole-heartedly accepting the apologies, Obama is reinforcing his campaign’s post-racial image and unification message. “It’s simple. He’s Teflon,” one Democratic consultant said. “It goes to his core integrity, the way he projects it … and that’s enormously important.” (More Obama 2008 stories.)