Truly, I have learned something from reaching across the aisle yesterday.  The Rolling Stone story might be on to something.

In this story, the writer suggests that the only way McCain has gotten anywhere in his life is if strings were pulled for him, or someone else carried the load.  I was, of course, incredulous.  Not the great John McCain!  Then, another story caught my attention, and I thought again.

The short version is simple.  The McCain campaign only took off when Sarah Palin, the VP pick that could not possibly have been his idea, started campaigning for him.  In other words, the only reason the Master Maverick has anything resembling a chance at the Presidency is because an ordinary conservative is carrying him on her back, and motivating other ordinary conservatives into doing the same.

I can appreciate his strategy, of course.  If you can’t get the ordinary conservatives to recognize your maverick brilliance, deceive them into helping you.  Then treat them like you did for the last eight years once you’re elected.  That would pull his election philosphy in line with the philosophy of his other fellow Democrats.  Get carried into the White House on conservative electoral welfare, then tell its providers they’re all evil if they don’t like it.

I’m almost expecting him to ride piggyback on Palin’s shoulders to his inauguration.  True machiavellian brillance.