After Keating 5, McCain genuinely pushed hard for campaign finance reform. Might not be the best form of it, but those laws encouraged and reinforced the rise of the small donor net campaigns. If, and only if, McCain is willing to throw his effort behind some issue like Cap and Trade, which he supposedly supports, it’d be more useful for us to have that vote than just to hurt his rep. Why would he? Because the Republicans are going to blame him for his loss with crazy talk like he’s too liberal and such. He may end up more pissed at them than he is at us.

Longer version of the argument here.

I see him as chafing at the bit after all this time in the Senate, and owning up to the fact that the White House will not happen for him. Weary of Cindy’s control of the purse strings, and having to live with oversight of his income, ready to have unfettered cash of his own to drop in Vegas… especially if it includes being adored as an elder, heroic statesman at lucrative speeches. He can re-create his maverick persona, tell tasteless jokes, be a crotchety but wise curmudgeon.

Mark Twain would be his role model. Buried in debt and long out of the public eye, Twain embarked on a round-the-world speaking tour, reclaiming his public esteem as well as his financial viability.

Along the way, McCain would happily battle with Dubya and Bill Clinton for speaking gigs; he would write books and revel in winning more late-night TV invites than Bob Dole after the ‘96 election.

In his heart of hearts, he knows he’s unlikely to follow his mother to being healthy and active in his 90s. His dad made it to 70, grandpa to 61. If he doesn’t indulge himself in his 70s, he may not get the chance.

He’s just gotten old and can’t keep up with that little vice anymore.

What’s to keep up with?

A newfound and consuming interest in traditional Indian crafts, I betcha!

The “little vice” will just be in her undisclosed location, sticking pins in an old homemade “doll” that one of her many “fans” will have sent her…