I suspect that Obama's staff commissioned a poll asking two questions: Would you vote for a Democrat or a Republican for President? and Would you vote for Barack Obama for President? And the Democrat defeated Obama.

So Obama's advisors told him to run as the Democrat. Nothing different about him. In fact, given that Al Gore and John Kerry arguably lost their races because of their personalities, he's better off having no personality at all. No controversial positions, no expertise, no delirious crowds, no assumption of being the inevitable winner.

Calvin Coolidge may have won by being silent. But these days a candidate has many people attempting to supply an image of him which will make the public more or less likely to vote for him. And which will give the public expectations about the policies a candidate will pursue in order to restrict his choices after his election.

By making himself a generic Democrat, Obama is allowing others to create a Barack Obama to suit other purposes.

But worse, he's giving the iompression that there's no such thing as a Barack Obama. That he was in fact saying what people wanted to hear, and giving people the impression they asked of a candidate. All covered by an arrogant, ingratiating charm which now tells everyone that whatever they think of him, they're wrong. And whatever they want, they will receive it only if he deems responding permissible according to his attitudes and useful to him. Pure exploitive ambition.

Perhaps many people have come to doubt they know who Barack Obama is, except inherently unfriendly. Perhaps his supporters remain those who know all they want about him just by looking at him.

Telling John McCain to behave naturally in response must be the easiest political advice in decades. And his impression of being genuine, if restless and sometimes confused, makes him an emblem of how many people feel. Obama gave up far more to consolidate and slightly expand his base than McCain ever had to do.