John McCain is a gambler. So he took a gamble and went on the David Letterman show last night. It should be the final straw that pulls the support out from under him. The gamble was a huge failure-- a massive error in judgment. It is clear that McCain failed to assess he depth or risk of the gamble-- just how much he could be hurt, how bad he would look in so many ways.
Watching McCain sit under Letterman's masterful manipulations, it was uncomfortable. He was, as the huffingtonpost described, grovelling, totally out of control, weak, helpless, foolish and in the hands and total control of Letterman, like a snivelling little child caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Letterman was brilliant, doing the job that far too many "news" anchors have failed to do, asking tough questions. McCain was like a helpless puppy, overwhelmed and adrift at sea, unable to get a grip on the conversation. The thought of him facing a leader of another nation, or of a cabinet of grownups with serious responsibiities-- seemed very remote. Perhaps it makes his faith in Sarah Palin somewhat believable. He was so out of his depth, dealing with a smart talk-show host, that perhaps he really does see Palin as competent to do the job of president, based on his own woefully inadequate abilities. Observing McCain, helpless, dominated by Letterman, helps one to understand how he allowed his campaign to be taken over by Rovian operatives so the McCain persona which so many Americans had grown to love and appreciate, was obliterated and replaced by a waffling, erratic, meanspirited political hack. The reason is simple. McCain is not strong enough to stand up to a strong person. His pathetic act on the Letterman show should be obvious to any voter who has ever had an open mind. McCain demonstrated once and for all that even Sarah Palin is more presidential than he is.