Politico States the facts ...

Interesting article on Yahoo's Politico column...a basic, state-the-facts comparison of McCain and Obama:

By Carrie Budoff Brown, Jonathan Martin

To understand the stylistic gulf between Barack Obama and John McCain, first consider their cultural references.

The Republican enjoys a good Henny Youngman one-liner and the 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. He tells jokes about drunken Irish twins, and the reason he had to join the Navy instead of the Marines: His parents were married when he was born.

The Democrat, meanwhile, professes to “love the art of hip-hop.” He listens to Jay-Z, Beyoncé and old-school favorites like Stevie Wonder on his IPod. Chicago is “ChiTown,” sneakers are “kicks” and knuckle bumps are at times his greeting of choice.

Over the next five months, McCain and Obama will delineate differences not just on substance, but also on style. They are well-cast foes, cutting distinctions on presentation, personality and personal image. One is the master of the arena rally, the other the town hall. One can shrug it off, the other not as much. One can be stylish and professorial, the other corny and occasionally prickly.

McCain, 71, who moved to Washington as a freshmen U.S. House member in the same year that Obama graduated from college, is a consummate extrovert who delights in surrounding himself with people, whether they are Senate colleagues, long-serving aides or “Trotskyites,” as he sometimes calls members of the press corps. He is most confident when he can speak extemporaneously and parry with an audience. A military man from a military family, McCain is a former POW with a quick wit and a short fuse.

Obama, 46, who was in elementary school when McCain began serving in Vietnam, is at his best speaking from a prepared text, and using his gift for timing and diction to make carefully-honed words soar in cavernous arenas and pavilions. The son of a Kenyan father and a Kansan mother, Obama positions himself as the embodiment of the American dream—and of cool, both in taste and temperament. Aides describe him as rarely very high or very low, annoyed but not paralyzed by setbacks. Aloof at times, Obama can show minimal enthusiasm for some of the sillier rituals of campaign-trail life.

There are similarities, to be sure, as both claim to be straight-talking and reform-minded, and both are occasionally self-deprecating. While his rival knows of Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers through his two young daughters, McCain benefits from being the father of teens and 20-somethings; he's hip enough to joust with Jon Stewart and drop a "gaydar" reference on Saturday Night Live. And Obama can sometimes look less than hip, touting a traditional home life centered on children’s activities like sleepovers, bicycle rides and dance recitals.

But from a style standpoint, facing off against Obama is already proving to be a challenge for McCain. On their very first night as head-to-head opponents, McCain’s lackluster speech in New Orleans last week set off a wave of criticism that the Republican is neither as impressive as his opponent nor as polished or energizing.

McCain aides recognize their candidate’s oratory strengths and weaknesses and have sought to frame him in the best possible light by challenging Obama to a series of joint town hall events—the incarnation of the new brand of politics the Democrat promises to deliver.

Obama is open to the joint forums, but has not yet committed to any. Whatever he decides, aides expect Obama, who held down 15-hour days during the primary season, to continue the same pace of massive rallies, smaller policy-focused town hall events and retail stops. The mix plays to his strength (the big speech) and buttresses his weakness (claims of inexperience).

McCain aides expect to keep their candidate in smaller forums where he can display his command of policy and politics—and his sense of humor, a mix of impromptu and well-rehearsed wit that often comes at his own expense.

Holding a panel-style discussion on the environment last month near Seattle, McCain was quick to interject when a high school student mentioned that he wanted to offer a youthful perspective.

“We need that, obviously,” quipped McCain, who often describes himself as "older than dirt" and with "more scars than Frankenstein."

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