McCain not sticking to the script

The Washington Post has an interesting piece up today about John McCain's apparent inability to stick to his campaign's message.

One can easily argue that it's McCain's freewheeling, off-the-cuff style that appeals to independent voters, but at what point does it cross the line into stepping on your own message?  The Post cites as an example the recent speech McCain gave where he attacked Barack Obama on failing to meet the "commander-in-chief" test with regard to his Iraq policy. Later that afternoon, he turned around and called Obama's 16-month withdrawl plan a "pretty good timetable."

This is the sort of mis-step that infuriates aides and creates countless undesirable headlines during a time when McCain appears poised to gain some ground on his opponent. If he's unable to reign himself in during his numerous unscripted campaign moments, expect the next several months to be rocky at best.

Comments

[JOHN CHUCKMAN, TORONTO]

"Not sticking to the script" is putting it mildly, rather in too friendly a light.

The man is at best borderline competent at what he is doing.

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/07/stupid_john_mccain.html#more

[Larry the cable guy]

Why is this not surprising, you'd almost think he's lost his train of thought, along with a few marbles.

He's not coherent at times and loses track of what he's said a lot of the time, first signs of Alzheimer's perhaps.