Everything McCain does (from picking the head of Alaska's National Guard to be his running mate to avoiding George Bush at the convention) has a ring of desperation to it as he faces an electoral landslide.

But politicos seem just as desperate to portray the doomed McCain campaign as on the verge of a breakthrough or a game changer.

Now it’s Hurricane Gustav that will help the ailing McCain.

Hurricane Gustav “presents the candidate with an opportunity to show that he would be a different kind of president than Bush” (Washington Post).

John McCain can't stop the storm, but his campaign is determined to make the most of it by using it to rebrand a new generation of Republicans as leaders who govern effectively and rise above partisanship (Time Magazine).

Before applauding the decision to postpone the opening of the GOP Convention in deference to the tragedy that's about to hit the Gulf Coast in the form of a hurricane, let's not forget how McCain responded to Hurricane Katrina and consider whether this man is competent enough to handle a national emergency.

McCain voted against unemployment benefits for Katrina victims.

McCain voted against funding the Army Corps of Engineers.

McCain voted against the Katrina Commission to hold the government responsible for its response to that natural disaster. And he has lied in interviews, stating that he supported every investigation.

McCain voted against supplemental Medicaid funding for Katrina victims.

McCain was part of the problem, not the solution.