Barack Obama and John McCain are both at risk; the one looks arrogant, the other negative and whiny.

Both Senators Barack Obama and John McCain are at risk; they are both presenting themselves as less than amiable individuals:

- Obama comes across as ‘arrogant and presumptuous.’ As someone who presents himself as the candidate of change and hope, who will transform American politics, and improve that country’s image in the world, he has to be careful not to present himself as someone who’s full of himself. Of course, all those running for president think pretty highly of themselves, but you’ve got to be able to hide that arrogance from the public. If the public considers you (extremely) arrogant, they won’t vote for you.

- McCain, on the other hand, does not come across as arrogant. Not at all. No, his problem is that he appears to be negative and whining all the time. When Obama went to Europe, McCain’s campaign constantly complained that Obama got more attention than their boss, that Obama was so arrogant, etc. etc.

Although both men are taking risks in this regard, it seems to me that McCain has the bigger problem; when people have to choose between a whiner and negative person on the one hand, and a arrogant yet positive person on the other, then tend to go for the latter. That’s human nature.

This happens to be one of the main reasons that I believe that McCain will have a hard time winning these elections. Running against hope is always difficult. The only way to beat hope is to offer a different kind of hope. Thus far, McCain has not been able to do this.