Remember the old TV show "To Tell The Truth?"  For you "young'ins" out there, three folks would show up each professing to be the "real" somebody or other and after a panel tried to ferret out the two imposters, the real somebody stood up.

        If John McCain played the same game today, it's really unclear which McCain would stand up.

        Having interviewed this guy only twice in the last eight years, one can hardly profess to know who the real John McCain is, but not knowing him means we can only judge him on what we see.

        First there is the combative John McCain; the take no hostages, hair trigger temper, abandon all caution and go for the win no matter what persona.  That is the McCain the D's call erratic, dangerous, and what McCain calls his Maverick image.

        Then you have the consummate bipartisan deal maker who formed the gang of 14 in the U.S. Senate to resolve a nasty inter party war over George W. Bush judicial appointments.  With McCain leading the way, the D's and R's joined hands in the best traditional of molding a compromise and the logjam was broken.

         And yet a third and very likeable McCain who showed up at a New York City fundraiser recently with his opponent and proceeded to charm the audience with his wit, self-deprecating humor that brought the house down.

         "I get the sense that in this New York audience there are some of you who really want to see me win. (pause for comic effect)  "Thank you Hillary" as he cast an eye on Ms. Clinton.

          So which of the three would stand up in the game show?

          Which one could beat Barack Obama?

          The real John McCain is all of those personas but unfortunately his handlers hid the real guy from the electorate, which violated the first real of politics, "Be yourself."

          Ask Al Gore.  Being somebody he was not, didn't work for him either.