“McCain would venture forth on the back of his bus, going places other Republicans don’t go, saying things politicians don’t say, offering the country the vision of a different kind of politics — free of circus antics — in which serious people sacrifice for serious things. It hasn’t turned out that way.”

Political speak is fascinating. Today messages are inspected and dissected so intensely that a candidate speaks off-the-cuff at their peril. Here New York Times Columnist David Brooks is discussing how John McCain is now sticking with the daily party line message points and running a traditional presidential campaign. McCain’s attempt at doing things his own maverick way didn’t work. Where is the change many of us had hoped for? Perhaps once one of our candidates is in the White House, they can buck the system just a little bit.