I don’t see evidence that it’s McCain’s race to lose, and I’d have mixed feelings if it were. He had to run a near-perfect campaign to pull off the upset, but he strikes me as a loose cannon rather than a maverick. (I’m questioning his suitability for highest office, not his heroism or patriotism.)

At 68 (two significant figures), the Intrade Obama contract is at its all-time closing high and appreciably above the 60 near which it hovered in August. Intrade’s Electoral College is an Obama runaway.

In 2004 I thought Obama might be a Paul Tsongas with charisma; today he worries me greatly. Nevertheless, McCain’s behavior when the financial crisis broke was so erratic that I’d hesitate to give him access to our nuclear arsenal.

I envisioned Governor Palin stepping on the national stage in 2012 at the earliest, but McCain put her there this year. Her opponents obviously wanted to permanently discredit her before she got her footing, but fortunately they did not succeed. I wish the gov well and hope she goes on to earn my future support.