So the new politics is to let your surrogates attack something that is factually true then say its over while getting one more dig in. How can the nation pass up such an opportunity for such truly new leadership.

Nope, that strategy is as old as promises of "change".

What’s brilliant about this is that it gives the impression of magnanimity and graciousness — but only after allowing the damage to be done by comments that clearly weren’t racial.

While at the same time attacking the very same comments from another angle. So now it's "beltway insider" and "establishment" thinking (read: anti-change), on top of possibly racial. Gotta had it to Obama, it was a great way to take a problem for his opponent and turn it into an opportunity for himself, and another problem for his opponent. And people say this guy isn't electable.