In other words, McCain doesn’t really believe that about Ayers, but he said it to throw Obama of?
There are other ways to throw Obama off without saying something you don’t believe.
In some ways McCain is terribly naive. I have no trouble believing that it will come as big news to him if and when he finds out what Ayers has been up to since his bombing days and until today.
I don’t for a second believe McCain doesn’t know more than we do about what Ayers has been up to all these years. The “old, washed-up terrorist” is just a line to rile Ayers, who still thinks he’s hot xhit.