Grumpy Old Man

Mike Allen at Politico notes the danger posed by Senator McCain increasingly seeming like a grumpy old man, and offers anonymous McCain friends' explanation for why he's being so grumpy:

clipped from dyn.politico.com what friends call “grumpy McCain” is showing up regularly on the campaign trail, and several top advisers worry that it’s hurting his campaign by making him appear peevish and hunkered down when the country is looking for a larger and more optimistic brand of leadership. After his first debate with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), both spectators in the hall and commentators on TV noted that McCain had deliberately avoided looking at his rival. A close McCain friend said the reason is clear: McCain is miserable about having to run a campaign that’s antithetical to his persona. “He is basically having to be somebody that he isn’t,” said the friend, who remains strongly supportive. “He is just not a guy that goes on the attack in public. For him to be on the attack constantly, attacking Obama’s character … McCain is uncomfortable with that, and it’s made him grumpy.”