McCain's Campaign Strategy

Well, it beats "developing phrases". Here's a glimpse of the strategies Obama and McCain are expected to offer for the fall election.

Republicans will seek to portray Mr. Obama as out of touch with many voters on issues like abortion and gay rights. Some of Mr. McCain’s advisers said they also thought that Mr. Obama had displayed a number of vulnerabilities as a candidate that they would seek to exploit: they argued that he was prone to becoming irritated when tired or pressed on tough questions, that he had trouble connecting with voters in smaller settings and that he had run a campaign light on substance.

The first part is simply a run-of-the-mill pitch to single-issue voters. The rest? Let's see... because McCain always acts so calm in public? And McCain connects so well when he speaks to small groups of... well, has he spent any time with small groups of people who aren't his base? (How well did he handle this - a question about his language toward his wife - "There are people here who don't respect that type of language" - isn't that the point of the question?) And specifics? He has to be kidding....

Also, one wonders, will the health condition he is apparently trying to cover up clear up soon? Because when you compare his openness with his medical records eight years ago to his reluctance to disclose them today, that's the most obvious implication of his continuing refusal to disclose them.

In any event, it looks to be a standard smearfest campaign, so fasten your seat belts.