Making His Own Luck

Two things you have to hand Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — not only is he lucky, but he is no dummy. Republicans can worry all they want about this bizarre period McCain is navigating through without an opponent or adequate attention, but it is a boon. Period.

Having survived four plane crashes, the superstitious McCain, who carries coins and other lucky charms in his pockets, knows his path to the nomination not only depended on luck, it is nothing short of a miracle. He also knows that, faced with two heavyweight candidates on the Democratic side, this would be no easy year for a GOP nominee. It still won’t be a cakewalk, but so far it’s a party!

Barack Obama has been dragged down to earth from his angelic perch, weighted down by the unseemly baggage of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and the assessment of small towns he gave from a mansion in Pacific Heights packed with millionaire Democrats. Is there a better Republican fantasy? And even if something nutty happens and McCain ends up facing Hillary Clinton in the general election, that’s even better. McCain’s campaign — with the help of Rush Limbaugh — prays for it as you read this.

But do not laugh at McCain’s biography tour or his trip through Appalachia, historic sites of the Civil Rights movement and New Orleans’s Ninth Ward. While most of you may not be paying attention, focused sharply on the brutal battle between Clinton and Obama, independents tempted to try on McCain for size are sneaking a peek. They are likely to see a man who is courting them hard, going places Republicans avoid, and they are likely to like what they see.

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After Pennsylvania, will Obama still share the path to the nomination with Clinton? ASK A.B. returns April 28 — Please join me for my weekly Q & A video posts by sending useful, interesting and entertaining questions to askab@digital-staging.thehill.com.