Writing in the Times, John Harwood looks at the tricky position McCain finds himself in with the need to separate himself from the an historically unpopular GOP president. Harwood looks around and suggests the last candidate who faced a similar quandary was Al Gore when he ran in 2000 in the shadow of Bill Clinton.

Now, to the layman that comparison might seem absurd since at the time of the 2000 campaign Clinton's approval rating was above 50 percent and the country was still basking in peace in prosperity. But back in 2000 the press was obsessed with what it perceived to be Clinton's huge impeachment-related drag on the Gore ticket. The press chattered about the issue endlessly during the campaign. For many campaign reporters, Clinton legacy and role in the campaign was the single most important issue of the race. No joke.

Fast forward eight years and boy, you sure don't hear much chatter about how Bush is going to impact the race do you? It's almost like an embarrassed press corps is just as anxious for Bush to leave the stage as McCain, isn't it?