Call me a skeptic, but I don't think Ashley Todd will help or hurt either campaign significantly...

[Bicoastal]

...people will be too quick to assume that this girl was a mental case who wasn't responsible for her actions, even though she clearly was. And although the McCain camp is on record as promoting this story to various news agencies--I don't think enough time passed between the time the story came out and when it was proven to be a hoax. It didn't get really big, and maybe that's a good thing for all of us.

Of course, who am I to doubt the word of the Executive VP of FOX? I don't know--what do you guys think?

[Eric J in MN]

1. The John Moody article didn't make sense. NT

NT

[Bicoastal]

4. Personally, I think Moody was COUNTING on it being real.

For whatever reason--maybe his own bigotry--he saw a guaranteed major story here in scary black Obama supporters terrorizing white Republican women. I don't think it even occurred to him that it was fake.

[The Wielding Truth]

2. If there may be others involved it would not be good for McC.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7597619

[votetastic]

3. Overall, this makes McCain supporters look dumb, as unfair as that is

Also, it hurts his ability to race-bait for the next 10 days.

This story will get even wider, judging by how it has fascinated DU.

[ROh70]

5. Depends on what new facts come out.

If we start to learn more about the McCain camp's role in this hoax, this story could have legs. This story raises a lot of questions about what the McCain campaign knew and when they knew it, and those questions won't be answered right away.

But, regardless, it is big, because this story may have sealed the deal for Obama in PA. How well do you think McCain is going to do in the Pittsburgh area now? I hear that the story is getting blanket coverage in the Pittsburgh market. That is terrible news for McCain.

[Bicoastal]

7. I didn't think Obama was hurting in the Pittsburgh area...

...I thought it was the middle expanse between the Burgh and Philly that was hurting him.

[grantcart]

6. It took McCain out of the news cycle for two days when Obama was gone

and with early voting at almost 2 milion a day, a very small window is getting very small

[Jennicut]

12. It hurt McLame's news cycle, I agree with that

[ikojo]

8. I also don't think this will affect the campaign

one way or another. She comes across as a mental case and will get loads of sympathy. She's white and probably upper middle class and therefore not responsible for her actions.

Now, if she was black and lower middle class and lied about an "M" being etched on her face...now THAT story would have legs.

[rasputin1952]

9. The one thing that comes out of this that would be positive...

is if she gets the treatment she needs if she does indeed have psychological problems.

Other than that, this is nothing more than just another ripple in the pond.

[napi21]

10. I think it will encourage Dem voters to get their butts out to vote!

At LEAST in Pgh. I grew up in SW PA. Even though I haven't lived there for 21 years, my first reaction to the little liar was "SOB, another Pub scam designed to promote racism!" I'm an old white lady, but this kind of BS has to stop! I KNOW it enraged our black voters everywhere, and I believe all it did in Pgh. was prove the Pubs (who are a minority there) are nothing more that divisionists...the very thing that average voters are sick of! It will hurt the Pubs!

[spag68]

13. napi21

How you doing? I just talked to some friends there last night, and mostly they are laughing that the McCains are so stupid to think they could get away with this.Mostly they are up in arms about Santonio Holmes getting caught with pot. Evidently out two games. I want to be sure that everyone reads the Post Gazette, not the Trib. The Trib. is Pgh. version of the New York Post, only small town.

[GrizzlyMan]

11. It's ALREADY affected the election

McSame lost the daily news cycle -- yet again -- largely because of this story. Every day is significant when you get to this point.