Advice for McFlighty

What's a candidate to do? As John McCain watches his favorables plummet while Barack Obama's rise, McFlighty is in desperate need of some steadying advice. The Washington Post asks five experienced politicos "What Could Change the Election."

John Podesta, Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff, thinks McCain's only hope is to give the electorate less McCain, to.... "change the dynamics of this race, but his erratic responses to the economic crisis aren't the way to do it. He could consider announcing that, if elected, he would pledge to serve only one term." But, wouldn't that position Bush's-dimmer-twin Palin as the GOP candidate in 2012?..... (hair-on-fire alert) aaaaaagh!

Newt Gingrich, former GOP speaker of the House and OK-for-me-but-impeach-Clinton womanizer and legislative bomb-thrower, true to form thinks head-on attack is McCain's best bet... "McCain has to focus on the Reid-Pelosi-Obama machine and the threats they pose to most Americans." Get a grip, Newt, no one wants more "Axis of Evil" scare-tactics.

Mary Beth Cahill, John Kerry's outmaneuvered and Swiftboated 2004 presidential campaign manager, advises McCain to "regain his footing as an independent-minded leader capable of appealing to independents".... but she can't help adding that's "unlikely to happen." Well, she should know all about grabbing defeat from the jaws of.... oh, never mind.

Peter J. Wallison, (who?) counsel to Ronald Reagan (oh), just can't fast-forward to the 21st century with his advice to McCain... "Republicans have been discouraged and frustrated" by McCain's "apparent refusal to challenge Obama on two obvious points." Those points? What else but "deregulation" and that moth-eaten GOP mantra "tax cuts." Wallison.... how gigantic is that trickle-down mortgage on Reagan's "shining city on a hill"?

Stuart Eizenstat, chief domestic policy advisor in the Carter White House, and senior positions in the Clinton administration, thinks a winning strategy would be a memorable debate line like... "Are you better off today than you were two years ago?"... or eight years ago? This helps McCain how?

Tonight's debate is important, but a game changer? Only if McCain flashes his old grin and announces he was only kidding.... Mitt Romney is really his VP pick.