What happened to John McCain?  Our thought is that McCain has been Doled and Gored.  We are speaking of course of Bob Dole and Al Gore.  Both Dole and Gore ran for President – both of them lost.  After the elections both Dole and Gore returned to their natural persona’s.  Where was that guy, we said, during the election?  If that guy had been running we might have voted for him.

When Doled and Gored by campaign staffs, when every word is managed, where every sigh is calculated, where rolling the eyes is scripted – the true candidate is lost.  Bob Dole is a really charming and witty person.  Al Gore actually has a sense of humor, is actually likable.  We did not see the real person until after the election.

Bob Dole and Al Gore lost because they were managed to oblivion by their handlers.   Ultimately the candidate is responsible for choosing his staff and for allowing the staff to script the campaign.  Ultimately the candidate has to own the outcome.  We long for a more simple time when a gaff was just a gaff, candidates could be themselves without fear of be harangued to death by the media.

This writer believes that we are seeing a stiff and stilted, a mean and nasty,  John McCain – a McCain who has been transformed by mean spirited staffers.  McCain often looks clumsy and awkward on the stump and in debates.  We believe this is because McCain is not being himself, he is trying to play a role.  McCain should just be himself.

This election will soon be over and the Rovian Handlers will crawl back into their caves.  John McCain will come out of the cocoon of script.  We will again see the real McCain and we will wonder, where was that man during the election?

This video was filmed last night at the Alfred E Smith Memorial Dinner.  Check out John McCain being funny – he has good timing, is graceful, and pulls off a charming moment.

Now check out Obama at the same event. Obama has charm for sure – but this particular event was better suited to John McCain.