Old Man McCain

The only people who would actually love to see McCain elected president are Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi; since they are already assured stronger majorities next term, they would become the masters of all things Washington.

All things being equal, the Republicans have already managed to create enough talking points on major policy issues that they will have handed the nomination to another Bob Dole -- a "straight-talking", cantankerous-but-cute relic with as much connection to the voter as Mitt Romney had to the civil rights movement.

1. As Saint Bill of Hope & Monica said: "It's the economy, stupid", and McCain has admitted that it's his weak point.
   
2. National Security: Either Mrs. Bill or O'bama can defuse his national security aura by wrapping themselves with a solid military man like Jim Webb who can articulate the the theories of civilian control over the military and the role of commander-in-chief far better than a man who spent the bulk of his military service in a pow camp. He could also point out most impressively that McCain's extended stay in the Hanoi Hilton was only because the civilians making policy - Nixon & Kissenger - dragged out ending the conflict to protect their own political reps - reminiscent of our current plight. Even if Webb is "pro-life", Dem support can be assured since both Obama and Clinton would be the ones making Supreme Court appointments which is the only real battleground of the abortion issue.
3. Funding: McCain will be running in states where the other statewide office is being financed by Chuck Schumer's Democratic Senate Campaign Committee - for which either Hillary or Barak are well suited to engage in true mutual support; contrast McCain's already poor-boy campaign financial straights and his need to compete for funds. For the first time,
   
4. See 1. Health Care is an economic issue, not a social one. The issues have already been framed by the Dems and while there may be differences between H & B's positions, the untrained eye can't really tell. Running with the need for continued right-wing support, McCain will be forced to adhere to the republican private-sector orthodoxy which will sound pretty lame; most Americans who have health care still hate their HMOs.
5. He's old; not distinguished, just old. And that wears thin after a while. If he sounds out of touch to a 61 year old accountant, imagine his ability to connect with a 25 year old single mother who's sick of having to negotiate the ins-and-outs of getting day care for her baby so she can work to pay rent. All the time while he's lauding the sacrifices of her brother or boyfriend who may have signed up for the army because it sounded "cool" or because he was promised help with college, but is now on his 2nd or 3rd tour in Iraq, coming home crazier-and-crazier each time she sees him.