Agreeing with Karl Rove isn't easy. But he's absolutely right.

Senator Barack Obama can't win this election, Rove said in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, if he continues to get distracted, defensive, and ends up running against Governor Sarah Palin.

The Republicans have once again ignited the Culture Wars. And true to form, the strategy is to attack and then cry victim. It worked in 2000 and 2004.

They're baiting Obama with comments from Palin, hoping he'll implode into the angry black man.

So far, it hasn't worked.

But every minute the Obama camp talks about Palin is time he isn't speaking about McCain and Bush and eight long, disastrous years.

Obama drew millions to his side just a few months ago by talking about the reckless judgment that took the country to war in Iraq, millions of Americans without basic health insurance, the worse collapse of the housing market since the Great Depression, and a financial market that is careening down the same path.

McCain's ads, especially the one which refers to a sex education bill Obama wrote, depicts Obama as leering black male. The bill, which was intended to teach children how to say no to would-be child predators, was never passed.

But similar to the continued reference to Obama's community service, it's talking to voters on two levels.

Community service for many conservatives is code for poor black people.

The saddest part of this election may be the cynicism of McCain's public comments about holding a fair discussion on the issues, and his willingness behind the scenes to slime his opponent the way his own party once slimed him.

It only further divides the country.

Of course, Obama can't show his anger about this.

But we can.