Where does Teddy come in? More big mouth and tiny stick in McCain's case. More exploit than conserve. More ignore business than monitor and regulate. Don't see Palin's TR component, either. Think your own pessimism is generating that gestalt.

Given we have a unique nominee it's hardly unusual you can't think of a personality mashup for Obama/Biden. Not sure why it would be useful to come up with one.

Mashing the Presidential and VP candidates together: just as smart as choosing who you'd like to have a beer with!

OK, seriously, I realize that you might just be reflecting voters' methods and not recommending them, but still…really?

As for the fact that you can't think of who'd you get if you mash Biden and Obama together, I take that as a net positive. It reinforces his idea of change. (I know you were trying to avoid that answer by reinforcing the who over the what, but I'm explaining the lack of a who by a what.) Sure, change can be good or bad, but only someone who hasn't been paying attention doesn't know what kind of change Obama is advocating. (We can disagree on how successful he's likely to be in bringing that change about, but that's true about every politician who's ever lived.)

Finally, Teddy Roosevelt? Because McCain's an older white male (never seen one of those before) who claims to be mavericky (a claim still tacitly supported by the MSM, unfortunately), and she likes to shoot guns? Is that where you're getting your gestalt from, or is there something more?

My impression is someone much more recent: George W. Bush: older white male who likes to pretend to be something he's not (McCain), who's not quite sure where he stands on certain issues but is quite adamant that he's strong on those issue (McCain), and who is overall quite clueless about a wide swath of issues (McCain and Palin).

Another possible comparison is Mondale/Ferraro, of course.

I see McCain/Palin as mashed potatoes and applesauce. I see Obama/Biden as a root beer float. Are we allowed to mash them in nutritional terms?

McCain/Palin = Millard Fillmore

Obama/Biden = FDR

That was for the price of admission. Like Roo-P, LowlyWorm and Ben, I see no value or relevance in this "mash-up" game.

McCain and Palin are fundamentally weak candidates independently and remain weak when you link them.

On the other, Obama and Biden are strong candidates separately, and stronger still when teamed together.

But Teddy Roosevelt... no way. I went to Teddy Roosevelt High, and Govsenator, you're no Teddy Roosevelt.

BG: I do think you are right that McCain and Palin are easier to mash. Porky Pig comes to mind. And if we must mash Obama/Biden, keeping with the cartoon genre, then they would be Bugs Bunny.

The problem with this game is that it requires people to really look at Obama, Biden, and Palin. If people are unwilling to do that, they get defensive.

Biden and Obama are Popeye and Eugene the Jeep. Maybe they don't mash together into a comprehensible character.

If it were a Clinton/Biden ticket, however, it would be the marriage of Olive Oyl and Popeye.

Here's one that doesn't quite fit right, but there's a bit of it going one. (And I'm only using US pols in my mash-up pool.) Mash Biden & Obama = Early Bill Clinton. Stop shouting for a minute, and lemme try this: Biden was always ... not-quite-Bill. Smart, but not quite AS smart as Bill. Big smile & appeal, but not the charisma Bill had. Loved to speak, and WANTED to lift it to RFK levels - but couldn't match Bill. Folksy, appeal to working class - but Ahm Gonna Hug Ya Bill could out-feel-your-pain. Bill was cool & could handle questions, Biden would periodically jump the tracks.

Now, what does Obama add to Biden? (I know, I know, Obama should be the stronger form here, not Biden, but I'm just playin'.) Obama is a far superior speaker to Biden. He has a real charisma, though not of the same type as Bill. Obama is a smart guy, some intellectual horsepower. He's cooler than Biden. So if I was starting with Biden, and added Obama... then I'd say we're in mash-up Bill territory.

Problem is... if you start with OBAMA and then add a bit of Biden (which is likely how most people "see" it), I'm not even sure what our base comparator would be. Probably JFK the only one that resonates for me at ALL - charisma, cool, intellect, youth, not really a "workin' man," etc. Add Biden to him & you'd track more toward Bobby maybe - more emotion, willing to muck in the dirt, more changeable in his course.

But somehow, the feeling I think you're questioning right now is Obama-Biden don't seem to "stand out" as a character against the backdrop noise & mood - at this moment - as McCain/Palin with the Teddy, Pirate, Rebel, Maverick schtick that they WANT to get out there can. And no, McCain's no Teddy. But would he take that FEEL, that image? In a flash. Do they want to create it? Probably yes. Will it hang together? Not so sure.

Politics is chemistry. Things can react well together initially, and then... explode. Or turn to mush. Or solidify into something inert. So this one's still reacting....

We're running against that demented character in Arsenic and Old Lace who thought he was Teddy Roosevelt.