Maybe he can't?

Barack Obama has proved himself to be exactly the candidate many of us feared he would be - aloof and elitist, with little capacity to deal with the Republican attack machine. Sure, he has the right image for crowds in Berlin or Guardianistas in Britain. But his lack of the common touch is proving his Achilles heel. News from Zogby that he trails John McCain 46-41 confirms this blog's worst fears. With next week's Denver convention, Obama still has a chance to turn things round. He can get a good VP candidate; and he can hope that McCain's notorious temper gets the better of him. But as the candidate who won on the basis of leftist caucuses rather than popular primaries, it is a tall order to win through. I hope he succeeds. But the odds are now stacking up against him.