@Ben Crain I can agree with most of what you say while holding the reservation that Gaffes do serve a purpose. They reveal flaws in character and judgement that could be important during that 3 AM moment. Humans believe that we can draw conclusions from these nonlinear clues. No one likes when the gaffe is elicited from their candidate. Your advice about dodging the offensive question is easier in theory than practice. McCain tried to brush off such a question with “my staff will get back to you” and the MSM are helping Obama to beat the drums about him not knowing how many houses his wife owns. Politics is an art and even famously abrasive politicians like McCain develop a radar for detecting and avoiding most of these attacks. They are professionals at their craft.