Dear John McCain,

Your current campaign strategy makes me think of a guy trying to pick up a girl by explaining to her why the other guys at the bar are bad. The downside: even if you convince her to avoid them, it still doesn't mean she's coming home with you.

Let me explain.

I like your new ad. It embraces pop culture: Britney before she went bald, Paris before she went to prison, and Barack being, well, treated like the Messiah. I get the message. Barack is cool and a celebrity, but if I don't want Britney or Paris at the helm of the nation, I might not want Barack there either--especially since he's part of the reason I pay more at the pump.

I kind of like BarackBook, put out yesterday by the Republican National Committee. It shows Barack's shady ties to really shady people, which is important to know as he paints himself as the savior of corrupt American politics. Plus it does it in a way that young people get. And it's fun.

But dang, John. Could you throw a girl a bone?

Tell me why your committment to finishing the job in Iraq will prevent a wartorn nation from becoming a giant power vacuum in the Middle East. Tell me why Iraq failing as a state means it will become a safe harbor for terrorists, a pawn for Iran to use, and why those developments will jeopardize American--and international--security for decades.

Tell me why your policy to support offshore drilling and to expand use of nuclear power is good for American energy independence and American pocketbooks. Tell me why your reforms to the health care market will bring more choice and lower prices to consumers; tell me why this is preferable to a government-controlled rationing system, as universal health care offers. Tell me why school vouchers and a competitive pay system for teachers will help fix a deeply flawed public education system.

Tell me why you believe in freedom, personal responsibility, and public service. Articulate a vision of government. Ask me to do more as a citizen. Tell me I should expect more. Make me believe it.

American voters have been around the block (cough, if you know what I'm saying). So stop campaigning as the "least worst" option on election night. We just won't fall for it.

I've just got to be straight here because I know that's your thing. The choice is yours, man: step up your game or get ready to go home alone.