Another reason why the Hagee story is considered a "nonissue" by the establishment. McCain was honored because he loves right wing Israelis and Zionism, and that perception is a-ok because at least the paranoid Zionists out there know that McCain loves war and Warmongering with his pal Israel.

McCain should have waited until the General election before courting all the Zionists, when "everyone" (i.e. AIPAC) is wondering and worrying about what Hussein Obama is going to do to help the Arabs kill Jews (and Americans, because he hates them too and because Israel's Security = USA's Security). What will poor ol' AIPAC do without two candidates who are clearly and 100% unequivocally supportive of the Occupation? It might actually come up during the debate....

Obama on the other hand, is "new" and potentially "scary" because he has said some things that don't seem to 110% support Israeli Militarism, and therefore AIPAC might possibly perceive him as not being infatuated with Zionism, and the fact that he mentioned "peace" and perhaps even referred to the Palestinians as people and not subhuman animals who are incapable of governing themselves and only capable of violence and hate, is something to be afraid of. You know, the usual Propaganda that helps paranoid neoconservatives sleep at night.

http://amconmag.com/2008/2008_03_10/article.html

These elements alone will probably ensure that if Obama is the nominee, Israel-Palestine will be a topic in the general election. Those already attacking his advisers—Marty Peretz, The American Thinker, the Commentary blog—will raise the volume on their efforts. Obama and his allies will initially try to deflect the blows but will eventually be forced to argue back. Jews who support a two-state-solution—who have long taken a backseat to AIPAC and the neoconservatives—will find their voices amplified through a major presidential campaign. So will Arab-Americans who support Obama. For the first time in a presidential race, the Israel-Palestine issue will consist of something other than two men squabbling over who will more rapidly overrule the State Department and absolutely positively move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

A welcome corollary will be realization that there are different ways for Americans to be “pro-Israel” and push back against the view that being pro-Israel means supporting the right of the Jewish state to lord it over 5 million Palestinians in conditions increasingly seen as resembling South African apartheid. The alternative view won’t sweep the country, but it will migrate from its present home on university campuses and liberal Protestant churches into the wider body politic.

Finally will come recognition that the Israel lobby’s power to dominate the American debate is beginning to weaken. It remains considerable, but two of its pillars are cracked: the ability to successfully intimidate and the capacity to plausibly threaten a cut-off of campaign funds. Obama ignored requests of Messieurs Dershowitz and Foxman and the world didn’t stop. His internet fund-raising has already generated anxious murmurings. “It’s easier to get credit as a community if there’s a Jewish fundraising event or a bundler who is known to reach out to our community,” one Clinton backer told the Forward. “Online it’s harder.” Especially, one might add, when the new method is wildly outperforming the traditional approach.

And of course if there is anti-Muslim bigotry and unfettered Zionism to defend, Peretz is right there with his finger on the pulse.

As well as being conflated with things like "War on Terror", "Patriotism", and "Islamofascism". They will all come together and feed off of each other's bigoted paranoia and stand united through "National Security".

Already this morning, on "Super Tuesday 2.0" Rush and the gang were praising and "supporting" Hilldog (formerly Satan Incarnate) and there were people all over calling in to right wing radio to tell everyone how they crossed over and cast their primary vote for Hillary over Obama, basically because they perceive Hillary as being "more serious" than Obama when it comes to bombing and killing scary people.

They say it is to "drag on the debate" but really they know that if it came down to Hillary vs. McCain, either is a safe bet that when it comes to Iraq and general establishment warmongering and chicanery. Boobus Americanus feels safe knowing that McCain or Hillary would push the big red button, and feel that Obama is too much of a wildcard.