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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Throw The Damn Ball

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Jun 23 2009, 10:59 AM ET Comment

There's a temptation to accuse John McCain of playing politics on Iran. I think this gives John McCain too much credit. What McCain knows is that Democrats--especially Democrats like Obama--are always weak on defense. I don't think there's much more to it.

Watching McCain go after  Obama over Iran, is like watching Vinny Testaverde repeatedly throw deep into double coverage. McCain isn't reading the defense. He isn't looking anybody off. He's staring his reciever down. It's all he knows.

He'd do well to remember that the last time he did this, Barry took it back for six. But I wouldn't count on that.



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