Keep an eye out for McCain -- on YouTube
GREENVILLE, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican Sen. John McCain is finding out what a difference seven years makes in his new race for the presidency.
In 2000, the loquacious McCain did not have to worry as much about some of his more zanier performances being available for mass instant replay at the click of a mouse.
But the 2008 presidential race now features YouTube, and McCain's first big brush was the video replay behemoth was last week when he sang "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" to the tune of the old Beach Boys' song, "Barbara Ann."
It was a big hit on YouTube, and McCain later told reporters anyone worried that his song might represent his policy toward Iran ought to "get a life" and realize he was joking.
After a campaign rally in Greenville, the concluding song playing over the sound system was, you guessed it, "Barbara Ann." Is it his new campaign theme?
"I didn't anticipate that, but I won't sing it again," McCain chuckled later.
Then there was his performance this week on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, in which McCain joked he had brought an improvised explosive device like insurgents are using against U.S. troops in Iraq to put under Stewart's desk.
In the debate that followed with Stewart, McCain ended up being booed by the apparently anti-war studio audience when he said the majority of troops he spoke with there believe they are fighting a worthy cause.
Talking to reporters after a campaign rally in Greenville, McCain said people need to take it easy and that he would not be able to withstand the rigors of the punishing campaign trail without some laughter.
"You can't get through these campaigns without joking around particularly on a comedy show. I'll continue to use humor, and my advice, my strong advice, if you don't like it, lighten up and get over it."
And rolling around New Hampshire on Wednesday on his "Straight Talk Express" bus, McCain said he was bound to make some mistakes. "Absolutely, stand by," he said.
One reason for that would seem to be McCain's gift for gab. The man rarely stops talking.
A typical day was Wednesday in New Hampshire. He made his announcement along the waterfront in Portsmouth, took questions from reporters for 15 minutes outside the bus, got on the bus with a crowd of reporters and talked to them during an hour's drive to Concord.
At a hotel in Concord, he and wife Cindy taped an interview for CNN's "Larry King Live," then it was back on the bus with another group of reporters for a half hour drive to Manchester.
Even when the bus stopped, he still didn't stop.
"Give us a couple of minutes, can we?" he asked.
On it went, he gave his stump speech, more questions from reporters outside his bus, and then some general chit-chat on the flight to Greenville, South Carolina.
McCain's goal seems to be to try to create the same sort of aura for his candidacy that he had in 2000, when he was seen as the straight-shooting, maverick alternative to George W. Bush. But he knows it will be tough.
"I think most people in New Hampshire view this very appropriately as a brand-new ball game. I think they're going to examine all of the candidates and we all have to do that and I think it's appropriate. So I think it's going to be a long slog," he said.
