Ben Stein: McCain Campaign Worse Than Dole

Completely and totally agree:

“Mr. McCain is running the absolute most pathetic campaign I have ever seen in my whole life,” Stein said in his unmistakable monotone delivery. “His campaign is just heartbreakingly pathetic. He is a very impressive guy. He is a brave guy, but he is running the most lackluster campaign I have ever seen in my entire life. I would have thought Bob Dole’s campaign would have set a record for poor campaigns, but this one is even worse. I mean it is shocking.”

Completely and totally disagree:

“I don’t discount the possibility that some really smart person at the McCain campaign might go over to Karl Rove, and say ‘We will offer you all the kingdoms of the world if you will come and guide our campaign,’ “

First, I’d argue that quite possibly they already have. Much about the recent ads McCain has run seems very Rovian, if executed poorly. I would welcome Karl getting involved. He’d fail miserably. Rove needs more of a blank slate unkown to do his thing. McCain has too much baggage in his prior maverickness to be able to pull off the kinds of attacks that Rove would bring to bear. Added to that has been McCain’s early declaration to run a clean and honorable campaign. Something he is dangerously close to violating, if he hasn’t already. Involving Karl Rove at this point would obliterate all notions of an honorable campaign and prove John McCain the desperate hypocrite that he is.