Tell Me Again!
Well, sorta.
McCain's last night told us something we all already know: He's running for president. On the "Late Show with David Letterman," he said it quite explicitly, telling Letterman "I am announcing that I will be a candidate for president of the United States." Just one problem: A moment later, McCain pointed out that this wasn't, you know, the real announcement.
"By the way, I'll be making a formal announcement in April," McCain said.
"So this was not the formal announcement?" asked Letterman.
"You drag this out as long as you can," responded McCain in a moment of candor. "You don't just have one. ... This is the announcement preceding the formal announcement."
Why "drag this out as long as you can?" Simple: Because every time you say you're running – formally, semi-formally, quasi-officially, or even semi-quasi-officially – the media gives you a ton of free press. (Well, unless you're Dennis Kucinich.)
The coverage strikes me as pointless. The fact that McCain is running for president, after all, is no longer news. His comments on Letterman are not news. His "formal" announcement in April will not be news. He's running. We know. Can we move on now?