Obama Can Run, But He Can't Hide.

Behind the mask, I can see the who the real Barack Obama really is. My only hope is that the majority of Americans can too before it's too late or frankly, we're in a heap of trouble.

His "World Concert Tour" showed us he knew how to pose for the camera in all the right settings: aboard military choppers seated next to General Patraeus, playing hoops with the troops, eating with the troops, pretending to be being humbled by all the press, etc., etc., etc. "Please, no pictures....is this my good side?"

But for those of us far more astute and less one dimensional, we saw without ever seeing his failure to spend even one minute with our wounded soldiers, declaring the Pentagon as his scapegoat because 'they wouldn't allow all the press.' (cue playback of baby sucking thumb). Here's an idea: how about doing it alone? Not a chance, don't be ridiculous. You know the rules of the Obama Campaign. Like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan, they refuse to go anywhere unless there's lots of publicity, or why bother? It's a must to call ahead insuring lots of fans and plenty of press. "I'm so surprised you're all here. Are you sure this is my good side?"

He says this, then says that, then says this again trying to confuse us into thinking that's what he's been saying all along. "Now how many fingers am I holding up?"

He speaks with our commanders on the ground, but doesn't listen because it's the democrats that are his real constituents, not us. He isn't a leader, he's a follower. "Stop everything. I need to take this conference call from Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and MoveOn.org." Even though he probably should, he probably won't pick Hillary as his VP. Why? Because she upstages him, and Barack won't have any of that. I've worked with Joan Collins, too. I can smell a diva a mile away. It's not pretty.

It's high time John McCain take a few lessons from the Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush campaign playbooks. "Hit them where it hurts". Stop being so lack thereof, and start kicking and scratching at this bratty kid you're running against whose only claim to fame is 3 minutes in the Senate, cleaning up a neighborhood and kissy face with Oprah.

To win this election and save us from ourselves, John McCain needs to re-run the Ronald Reagan/Jimmy Carter debate (if you could call it that) when Mr. Reagan asked point blank, "Ask yourselves if you're much better off today than you were 4 years ago", and ask Americans today a similar type question, "If Iran becomes a nuclear power, who would you rather have as your Commander-in-Chief?"Say what you will about George W. Bush, but when the Twin Towers were destroyed, I thanked God he was in the Oval Office and not Al Gore, or we'd still be begging the UN for permission to use the restroom and the Taliban would still be in Afghanistan using us.

The world stage doesn't need a rock star. I'll see your Elton and Bono for a real leader. That trumps both of them hands down. We should be thinking about Iran and Israel, not how far a presidential candidate can make hoop shots.

If that's the case, I'd rather have Kobe Bryant. Maybe that's who John McCain should name as his VP to wean us from all this foolishness.

Ron Maestri
www.ronmaestri.com