Pushing back the start of the game would never have been a big deal, directly—the problem would be when the game ended—ending a 9-inning game well after midnight on a school/work night might well have annoyed people.  Fortunately, it wasn’t a 9-inning game, but just short post-rainout resumption.

Yep . . . not only did his wartime experiences Peter-Principle McCain into elected office, they cloistered him from developing professionally once he got there. 

For example, Barney Frank and Jerry Nadler are two of the nerdiest-looking guys you ever saw, a couple of tubby, middle-aged guys with glasses whose biggest claims to appearance are their nice suits—but when it’s time to talk to a crowd, people shut up and listen to them, and not just to be polite. That’s something they had to learn how to do, to keep their jobs. Hell, just to get their jobs in the first place. They eventually had to learn how to write, and read, legislation. They had to learn how to figure out what their constituents want. They had to develop some social skills (even politicians whose positions you loathe are usually pretty charming, when they want to be).  And so has almost anyone else who’s held a seat for more than a few years.

McCain in contrast, has always skated over all this work by pointing out (or having someone point out for him) that he’s an ex-POW. And it’s always worked for him, so why should he bother with the other stuff? 

Then, about half-way through this campaign, he broke it. Stopped working for him, which was probably a huge shock.

There are a lot of reasons why the McCain campaign is so badly run. But a big one is that this is Senator I’m-Just-Sooo-Experienced’s first campaign that wasn’t a gimme.

I am curious as to *how* you think he “nullified the regular guy meme”.  It seems to me that somehow it just never stuck.  The tempest during the primaries over his bowling score was the closest, and had me worried for a while.  But I can’t put my finger on just how he brushed the nonsense off. 

Was it the long primary that gave him plenty of time to define himself before the general? 

His Bill Clinton-style ability to reach through TV cameras and make a direct, personal connection with the people watching at home?

Or is he just lucky that his opponent has 7 houses?

Pushing back the start of the game would never have been a big deal

The infomercial would NEVER have pushed the start time back, EVER, that was always bullshit.  All seven games were supposed to start at 8:37 pm Eastern—I know, I had to plan work time off in case the Angels made it BUWAHAHAHAHA and I got tickets—all Obama’s buy did was wipe out Fox’s half-hour pre-game show.  If someone was so heartbroken about not getting MORE Joe “Worst Announcer Ever” Buck and Tim “Big Asshole” McCarver, then they’re so fucking sad, they should be mocked and scorned for all time.

ending a 9-inning game well after midnight on a school/work night might well have annoyed people

Fox flat out dictated to MLB what time the games would start.  They told MLB “We paid $250 million for the rights, when we say jump, you say ‘How high’ and that’s that”.  With most baseball games lasting 3 hours or more, they were always going to nudge against a midnight end time in the Eastern time zone, which didn’t make baseball happy, they want to cultivate a new generation of fans, hard to do when your premier event ends when little Tad and Todd are fast asleep.  Who’s pissed the most is local Fox affiliates, because the World Series wiped out their 11:00 pm newcasts, which are big money makers for local stations.

I never thought the primary would be the hard part of this election.

Hillary Clinton was a way more worthy opponent.

BABH, I think he rid himself of the “regular guy” stuff by just being himself and people getting to know his life story. John McCain being a super-double-plus asshole doesn’t hurt, though.

Henry - Thanks for the rant against the FOX announcers.  True assaholics surely still pissed that Palin got a warm Philly welcome at the Flyers game.

Jesse - I am insulted!!!!  Just like when you confused poor Ted Williams for Ty Cobb!:)

A Phillies Phanatic Who Braved the Parade Today

Hillary Clinton was a way more worthy opponent.

Things got really, really nasty at times during the primary, but now in retrospect I’m glad they did.  If (for one example) the Rev. Wright stuff had only come out in the general, it would have been far more damaging to Obama.  And, really, Hillary could not have been more gracious at the convention itself.

She would make a good president, but right now we really need someone who can get past all of the old “what did you do in the 1960s” bullshit and bring us into the 21st century.  Sucky as it is for her, it just wasn’t her year.

The tempest during the primaries over his bowling score was the closest, and had me worried for a while.  But I can’t put my finger on just how he brushed the nonsense off.

I don’t know if this is the reason, but one thing that’s long impressed me about Obama is how little attention he pays to that kind of nonsense.  When he has breakfast, he orders orange juice, no matter what the pundits say about it.  When he eats a hamburger, he uses Dijon mustard, no matter what his own staffers say about it.  Obama pretty much just acts like himself, compared to Gore and Kerry who seemed to be so obsessed with seeming down-to-earth and likable, they came off as exactly the opposite.

Hillary would NOT make a good president, IMO, because she CAN’T PICK PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

That’s probably the MOST important skill a president uses, and Obama’s campaign shows he knows how to recognize competence.

Eric, rejoctor of memes: that is a REALLY GR*E*A*T*  POINT !!!

Comments on Obama’s campaign staff aside, I think Eric makes an excellent about Hillary.  She lost for a reason and a big piece of that humble pie comes directly from her staff.  She played to the DLC in a big way.  I think that choice and the her staff’s execution during the primaries demonstrates who was the stronger candidate.

Does anyone here believe that if Hillary had won the primary we would be where we are today?  I think the race would be much closer than it is.

Hillary still has a great future as a Supreme Court Justice.

God, that’d drive the Republicans up the walls!

At this point the McCainies not only don’t expect us to care about all the crap they’re slinging, they don’t care about it themselves.

It isn’t necessary to engage them. Just mock them.

keshmeshi:  You may be on to something - he refused to feed the trolls by going into “damage control”.  Wouldn’t let them change the subject, stayed on message.  Except once, over Rev. Wright.  And then he delivered the greatest speech in american politics since Reagan in Berlin.

American Heterosexual Baseball?! Now, maybe I missed an in-joke somewhere along the line, but as an All-American olde-school* former first baseman and certified man-sex-haver, I object, sir. Ask my same-sex paramour: during October, I have Other Priorities.

If you’re referring to the fact that, out of 20 thousand-some professional ballplayers since Stonewall, only one or two has belatedly come out, then I submit to you that statistics are marvelous things. Could they all have been straight? Technically, yes.

* tall, skinny, left-handed, and too godawful a fielder to put anywhere else