This isn't an ad about race, and it isn't racist.

It is a very effective attack ad about Obama's ability to lead the nation in tough times, on tough issues like energy policy, which is the main subtext of the script.

Another reason why the ad is brilliant, is that it takes a policy tack that Obama can't counter by claiming McCain is Bush. The McCain legacy to date on energy policy is quite different that Bush/Cheney, which is one of the main reasons why McCain has never had neo-con support, and why the Bush/Cheney machine seems determined to undermine McCain at every opportunity.