Barack Obama has been compared to Tiger Woods so many times (Google finds 290,000 pages where they are both mentioned, although no doubt a large fraction are “And in other news” references rather than direct comparisons) that many people no doubt assume, unconsciously, that Obama possesses the same traits as Woods. We’ve seen countless commentators, for example, simply assume that Obama, like Woods, identifies as biracial, when the opposite is true for Obama.

Many folks also seem to assume that Obama possesses Woods’ bulletproof psyche. Golf isn’t exactly a tough sport physically, but its emotional and cognitive demands are high. And Tiger’s consistency makes even Jack Nicklaus, whose ability to focus and block out distractions intimidated everybody in his day (other than maybe Lee Trevino), look like Britney Spears. In contrast, if Obama’s 1995 autobiography is to be believed, he has a rather fragile, depressive personality.

The Woods Halo Effect may well benefit Obama even more this year because Woods is now 32, which was the peak age in Jack Nicklaus’s career. In 1972, Nicklaus made a strong effort to become the first golfer since Bobby Jones to win the Grand Slam of major championships, winning the Masters and US Open before losing the British Open by a stroke when Trevino chipped in on the next to last hole. Woods won the first tournament he entered last weekend by 8 strokes, and he believes the Grand Slam is achievable.

A reader writes:

On the subject of voter ignorance, one of the great revelations to me has been the research tending to show that the voters most likely to keep an open mind about candidates are also the most ignorant. Conversely, voters who have acquired the most political information are also the most partisan and ideological – which, on reflection, is not surprising, since it’s their partisanship that inspires them to acquire political knowledge in the first place. Hardly anyone seeks out knowledge for the (boring) purpose of making an informed voting decision.

Only when you look at ignorant voters do find people who aren’t so cabined by their ideological or partisan loyalties that they will consider voting for any candidate. So, it is not only possible but probable that the voters who went for McCain have no idea what McCain actually stands for. They probably, as you suggest, use a heuristic like “McCain is the maverick candidate and that’s what we need right now.” Little do they know that McCain actually wants to extend Bush’s failed policies.

All this was set forth in Philip Converse’s extraordinary paper “The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics.” I can’t find it online, but here’s a fair summary.

The typical undecided voter is not like Mickey Kaus in 2000, who argued with himself on his blog back and forth for ten days in a row before finally deciding to vote for Gore.

Greg Ransom writes:

If we take a look at the Florida exit polls, we see that Romney handily defeated McCain 35% to 31% among GOP voters who have a positive opinion of the Bush Presidency. But McCain crushed Romney 2-1 among those voters who are not satisfied with the Presidency of George W. Bush. This huge negative on Bush vote provided McCain with his comfortable victory margin over Romney in Florida.

Swell, but, why? How does McCain differ from Bush on the big issues like invading the world and inviting the world? Hasn’t the Bush White House been more or less favoring McCain for the nomination for the last year or so? Will McCain, who finished 894th out of 899 at the Naval Academy and who lost five jets, return competence to the White House?

Ok, at the risk of sounding repetitive or cynical….SO WHAT!!!!!!

What that headline really says is: Mobster Wants The Flip-Flopper (From Who Knows What Party) To Be President!

There’s a surprise…what can we expect next from this new merger? “Mobster asks MCCain for a Favor“…to appoint his Consiglieri, Frances Corleone, as either Attorney General or Ambassador to Sicily?

Hmm…how fine is that line between “favor” and “threat” at this point?

Unless God himself (or at least one of the Superstar Angels like Gabriel or Michael) endorses McCain, the Arizona Senator still won’t win…no matter how many cheesy Republicans endorse him!! And forgive me but even if McCain has the Big Guy’s endorsement, I would still bet against him!!

Now then, if you don’t hear from me again its because I have been struck by lightening and suffering the fate of those who challenge the will of the Divine! Sorry!!

(Not the He would pick McCain anyway…this is clearly hypothetical, ok?)

According to Senior Gubernatorial staff (via the LA Times), Arnold Schwarzenegger will announce his endorsement for Senator John McCain’s Presidential campaign tomorrow.

Hmm…let’s think this through for just a moment:

1. Not that I am some political wunderkind or anything but…wasn’t Senator McCain pretty much flatlining on the table just a few months ago when suddenly he popped up as a new conservative man with new conservative ideas for America?

2. Didn’t he go to great lengths–including cancelling his weekly canasta game with Senators Reid and Durbin–just to prove his re-commitment to the GOP? Didn’t he remove his support from several, shall we say “less than ethical” oops! I mean “less than conservative” Congressional bills that had earned him the title of Teddy’s Bitch? (Sorry to my boss Peter Brimelow but I promise there was no other way to accurately describe the relationship!)

3. Wasn’t this remarkable turn-around the only reason he survived in Iowa and New Hampshire…you know, as opposed to being thrown out into the snow on his…umm…flip-flopping behind?

4. Herr Schwarzenegger is solely responsible for the dejected, fractured and seemingly unmendable GOP in California. He is solely responsible for creating unprecedented dismay among conservative voters and practically driving the libs to the polls. He spends more time pleasing the Democrat-controlled House than trying to figure out how to get it back. In fact, it would not surprise me if his Democrat Chief-of-Staff neglected to brief him on his ability, authority and YES even his responsibility to pull his Party back from the brink…but no!

YOU’VE GOT TO BE JOKING!! Wait a minute…

When I read what I just wrote, Schwarzenegger’s resume could easily have John McCain’s name at the top, huh? Anyhow…

Schwarzenegger decided to throw his considerable clout behind Senator John McCain for the GOP nomination in this year’s election.

Considering that John McCain is already (and I think perhaps permanently) at the bottom of my “people who should never be elected or hold positions of power” list (this list includes names such as Gloria Steinem, Patricia Ireland, Ted Turner, George Soros…you get the picture) I guess McCain can finally be removed…to a new list that is!

Now his name is just Mud…smelly, worthless, algae-polluted McCain Mud.

Schwarzenegger endorses McCain!! How daft is this thing going to get before even the wackiest of the wacky get migraines or something and for the love of Pete, just mercifully let all the twaddle go?? Preferably down some smelly, rancid drain…maybe over at Schwarzenegger’s house…ooh, or over at the hotel where the Screen Actors Guild Award Show is held!! Yeah…now I’m thinking…all those smelly, smug drivel-spewing “actors” can rinse off in the water from all those smelly, rancid drains fresh off the campaign trail!!

Sometimes my imagination gets carried away but come on, isn’t this one a win-win?