This was supposed to be the first “positive” campaign in memory with opponents who actually respect each other. Imagine that! After the intense bitterness of Bush-Gore and Bush-Kerry, we could look forward to an election season of serious debate over the direction of the United States, instead of dreading an endless series of attack advertisements come late October.

For all of John McCain’s supposedly “maverick” principles, he’s established himself well within the Republican mainstream. The quixotic primary campaign of 2000 has been replaced by a conventional campaign no different than the two Bush campaigns--negative and pandering. McCain once opposed Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy when they were passed in Congress, but now supports making them permanent. To his credit, he is relatively pro-environment, but his plan to reduce carbon emissions is so watered down that it cannot be taken seriously. McCain has been in a long series of photo-ops with the fundamentalist Christian leaders he once condemned, while allowing Republican leaders to attack Obama’s wife, his patriotism and his religion without significant public or private condemnations.