heric has it nailed. All Obama needs to do is neutralize the Iraq war as an issue and
return the focus to the economy, where McCain's views are now embodied by Gramm in the minds of many, despite his denials.

Obama can point out that the US is now paying doubly--and needlessly--in Iraq. We are paying to maintain our troops there, and we are paying otherwise unemployed military-age men to belong to self-defense organizations.

That money is urgently needed elsewhere--in Afghanistan, and above all, at a time of recession, at home.

And it looks like Obama knows this--and is doing it.

Meanwhile, as I've noted earlier, McCain is trapped. He desperately needs independents--but every time he tries for them his own base threatens to revolt--or stay home.