McCain and Palin are behind in the polls and checking Mapquest every day for the lowest road in the region. The campaign has made it clear they want to dirty up Obama in the stretch, and Tuesday night's debate should be a test of whether McCain will bring that tactic into the open, with Obama a few feet away. But the pair of "mavericks" aren't pulling punches in the run-up. Here is McCain on Monday, and Palin's comments to the Times' William Kristol today were pretty straightforward. (As was this rally speech, where she concedes she reads the Times! Though only for effect. Like she reads the Economist!) This AP analysis wonders whether it will backfire. Experience tells me it could work. Many feelMcCain haspermanently sullied his once-estimable reputation, but that all would be forgotten if he wins. It's a big "if." So who is the real John McCain? Will his (and her) strategy pay off? Will it do lasting damage? Or will bygones be bygones? And is Palin making her case for 2012--or the first flight back to Anchorage? I think the electorate is more volatile than I can remember, so who knows what will happen. Much like the stock market.