He should have used "Hey, look over there!" and ran.

John McCain has had better times in his life.

Seen as a maverick, a "straight-talker", the perennial Presidential candidate has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at least ten times over the past few years. Stewart clearly likes him and has supported McCain's usually moderate take on politics.

Since the start of the 2008 political season (holy crap did it come early), McCain has undergone a transformation. Once the front runner for the Republican nomination, he now lags behind, in spite of (or because of) his rightward shift to try to capture Bush's ultra-conservative base. His bizarre positions on Iraq and the weird visit to the Iraqi marketplace have hurt him further.

McCain appeared as a guest on The Daily Show last night. Ouch. While still collegial and (mostly) polite, the interview was painful. Stewart and McCain spoke over one another throughout the entire interview. McCain avoided questions, answered in non-sequitors, and was less a "straight-talker" than a "spin doctor". Stewart had a good sense of humor about it, but wasn't giving McCain an easy pass. Stewart demanded answers and McCain dodged. McCain looked pained and un-Presidential. Despite his just-officially-announced candidacy, I think this is the beginning of the end for him.

The video of McCain's segment can be seen here: Ouch, that's painful.

I'll be surprised if McCain tries again to reconnect with his hip supporters on The Daily Show any time soon.