He needs to show leadership instead of musing about how he was once a prisoner of war who heroically resisted his brutal captors, because many of the people who'll vote in November were not even alive during the war in Vietnam. To them it's ancient history, They want to hear solutions to the gas-price crisis, for example, not recollections of a past they didn't share.

He can't gain any points recalling the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter because there are lots of people out there who at best only vaguely know that Carter was once president or who have any idea of what he did when in the White House.

When he talks about the Vietnam war, or Jimmy Carter, McCain has to explain what he's talking about, and the American people have little interest or patience in matters that have to be explained.

If something has to be explained, it's something you shouldn't talk about.

McCain doesn't seem to realize that what the public perceives is reality. In politics, perception and reality are the same. True of not, the perception is that George Bush hasn't led. The reality is that we have no leadership and we're hungry for a leader.

At this point in time, Barack Obama may be leading us off a cliff, but at least he's whistling the tune the voters want to hear.

John McCain needs to find his tune, and then sing it loud and clear. He can't mumble his away into the White House.