>The fact that it sounds as if Joe wasn't actually one strictly accurate is only relevant in so far as it makes McCain's attempt to personalise that through invoking his name is absurd. And that's the phoniness on which people should be focussing their attention.<

Bingo.

However, the story becomes more interesting, and McCain's level of culpability changes, if Joe (Sam) was deliberately planted in Obama's face. McCain was at least absurdly ill prepared and imprudent in milking a silly story, therefore exercising bad judgment, but if his campaign was involved in advance with this charade, then it's worse.

A deliberate plant doesn't seem to be the case (yet), so we are left with McCain's extraordinarily bad judgment and cynicism about the electorate.