The summer does not love John McCain. The humidity seems to descend like a warm cloud on his campaign, locking in the ill humors and dreadful political vapors. Last summer, he was a mere ghost hanging around the Republican field. This summer...well, he's a mere ghost hanging around the fast-moving presidential heels of Barack Obama.
As the Democrat conducts facsimile diplomacy that seems so damned close to the real thing, McCain talks about "the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border."
While Obama cuts the cards on troop withdrawal with Prime Minister Maliki in Iraq and projects increased American strength in undernourished Afghanistan, McCain hunkers down with a vice-presidential pick that seems to be narrowing to Mitt Romney.
But no humiliation comes close to the rejection The New York Times op-ed page laid on the GOP nominee. Attempting to respond to Senator Obama's piece on Iraq, McCain weighed in with his own column, figuring the NYT would naturally want the opposing viewpoint.
Not so fast.
Op-ed editor David Shipley rejected McCain's response, wishing aloud for a version that "mirrors Senator Obama's piece." And then, oh the recognizable ignominy for those among us who have ever flashed a pen in the vain hope of publication: "I'd be pleased, though, to look at another draft."
The horror. McCain's not good enough at rattling the old prose around to appear on the NYT's op-ed page...when he's the nominee of the Republican Party...for President...and is responding to an opponent's piece that clearly attacks his own policy positions. Oh my.
And this a page that actually publishes Maureen Dowd, for heck's sake. Twice a week.
McCain's is a campaign that appears as viable over the long-term as John Belushi, circa 1979. It's almost enough to make you feel some sympathy for the old warrior. Then you remember that whole "future of the republic thing," and you hope this long, hot summer of McCain's discontent continues until the winds blow and the leaves fall from the trees around the nation's polling places.
