The late Hunter Thompson and the dead John McCain.

[saltpoint]

"He sounds like a farmer with terminal cancer asking for a loan on next year's crop."

--Hunter Thompson, on Ed Muskie's campaign, 1972, after several hits in the press and on the campaign trail, some self-inflicted, others Segretti-inflicted.

Listening to John McCain blathering today about the glory of victory in Iraq, I was reminded of Hunter Thompson's assessment of the Muskie campaign, thinking it applies even more to what's left of John McCain's 2008 bid.

[rusty quoin]

1. I was always surprised at McCain's political compass.

If he had stayed like he was in 2000, he would probably be ahead.

[saltpoint]

2. Agree. It's as if someone stole into his chambers in the dead of night

and sucked his soul out of his body and fled out the window never to be seen again.

McCain's been a Bush zombie ever since.

[Old and In the Way]

3. It's almost sad to see the slow motion train wreck of the Straight Talk Express

....almost. :-)

[saltpoint]

4. I'm grinning at your post, Old and In the Way. "Almost" is right.

There was a truer man in those bones 6 years ago. I heard him.

But I can't find him anymore in all this pro-surge talk.

[valerief]

5. It's time for McCain to start riding in The Short Bus. nt

[saltpoint]

6. My thought is that all his aides and staffers have quit because no one

wants to be the person to tell the old crank that he's fallen behind David Duke in the polls.