McCain Will Toil

Time's Michael Scherer lays out seven elements of John McCain's general election strategy against John McCain.

They're all right on.

Here's an eight: Outwork him. Those of us who have traveled with McCain and Obama know that McCain generally appears less fatigued at the end of a long day (although Obama has gotten much, much better since he began his campaign.) But McCain's advisers know that one way to divert attention from their candidate's age is to show voters how hard he works and how little the work seems to tire him. So the plan is, for now, to work McCain to the bone, scheduling grueling days full of town hall meetings and hope that Barack Obama, in following suit, is one who winds up appearing worn out. The explicit message: McCain has more energy than a guy half his age; he's got callouses on his hand. The implicit message: Obama's a bit of dabbler, a dilettante.

WILL IT WORK? I think the McCain campaign understimates Obama a bit. So we'll see.