Despite the McCain camp's cry that Obama is sunning himself while voters suffer from an economic squeeze, the timing of this vacation should prove to be a great benefit perhaps both intentionally and unintentionally.
1 - The opening of the Olympics started at the same time so there's adquate headline news to fill the spot that they'd normally be looking to cover with Obama gaffes or something of the sort.
2 - A recent poll by the Pew research Center found that 48% of voters say that there is too much Obama coverage. On the surface, this may sound like a really bad thing. In fact, the conservatives are salivating over this because they, of course, interpret/characterize this information as 48% of voters are sick of Obama.
That's not how the statistic reads however.
According to an ongoing Pew study, Obama has appeared in more news stories this year and more people say they have heard more about him than McCain, the longtime Arizona senator who also ran for president in 2000.
And Obama has appeared in more news stories. that because, right or wrong, he's more newsworthy than McCain on most issues.
If we follow the trend of media coverage however, this should work to Obama's favor.
First, remember during the democrat run for candidacy, when Hillary Clinton complained that the media was too soft on Obama? She cited the SNL sketch making exaggerated fun of a supposed media love affair with Obama. Soon after, there was nothing but negative and negative after negative coverage.
Media heads don't want to appear that they are the ones perpetuating this notion and will soon begin to focus more sharply on McCain finally. They've already begun to do so. Daily Kos member PA mnon, notes how Chris Wallace was shockingly sticking it to McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis.
And second, since the Illanois senator is not on the stump or giving interviews, the media won't be able to get those little soundbites to dissect and turn about to something erroneous or just plain wrong. Looks like McCain will have to deal with own issues for a change (no pun intended).
3 - Obama likely did not know that John Edwards', lovechild, story mushroomed while he is vactioning but it's a good thing that it happened that way. Any issue on the economy, the war, or anything else that Obama would have liked to media to cover would have been gulped up by his take on the Edwards situation or they would somehow convert that story to an Obama story for him to defend and once again McCain would sliver out of it.
4 - Simply put - Obama needs the rest.
Obama's vacation plans may have one meritorious effect -- temporary relief from the incessant, and often pointless, speculation about who's up and who's down in his running-mate search.
Enjoy your vacation, Senator. Come back stronger and more resolved than ever.