According to David M. Herszenhorn, in his article titled "For McCain, a Dual Role, Center Stage," over at the New York Times, "Senator John McCain is rewriting the part of presidential loser." Is this article news analysis? Is it an opinion piece? They don't tell us, so presumably it's just the facts, ma'am.

Mr. Herszenhorn continues, telling us just how Mavericky the beloved McCain is. Here's the second sentence: "Unwilling to vanish into retirement like Bob Dole, or retreat into academia like Al Gore, or even quietly convalesce like John Kerry, Mr. McCain has quickly reclaimed a place on center stage in Washington, some days skewering President Obama and the Democratic Party, and on other days standing by their side." [emphasis mine]

I should have stopped halfway through that sentence and closed my laptop, but alas I didn't. I was willing to give the article a chance, and then I learned that Al Gore had retreated into academia. Admittedly, I don't follow Mr. Gore's life closely, but I remember some movie about the environment that was kind of popular and was nominated for some awards, I think. Oh, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change. He almost totally retreated to academia!

Apparently, since the election, "Mr. McCain has been quintessentially unpredictable." That's our John! Crazy Maverick! Letting it all hang out, "some days skewering President Obama and the Democratic Party, and on other days standing by their side." That wacky John! The little scamp! That bipartisan prankster!

But McCain wasn't totally undamaged by the 2008 loss."There are also signs that he still harbors grudges from the 2008 presidential campaign," we are told. I don't think he's any more bitter than before the election when he was also a bitter, um, man. There are also signs that he harbors grudges from the 2000 Republican primaries.

But that crankyness is what makes John John! He mocked the three Republican Senators who voted for the stimulus for not being really bipartisan. You see, John was bipartisan before bipartisan was cool. "I am proud to have been a member of a number of bipartisan resolutions,” McCain sez. He knows bipartisanship, and you, Mr. Specter, Ms. Snowe and Ms. Collins are not bipartisanship. He's the Maverick for voting with the rest of the Republican party. Ma-va-rick! Ma-va-rick!

And he twitters those hilarious comments about pork!!! It wasn't mentioned in the article/column, but he is totally the first presidential loser to use Twitter. Look at John! He's picking up new technology! He's funny! He's shallow! The media loves that stuff. Just read Maureen Dowd.