No More "My Friends"?

Oh, there's very little I like about John McCain. But there is one thing I like, and that's how friendly he always is. He's always saying, "My friends," this -- and "My friends," that.

It's like he's the world's most personable guy, a guy who really knows us, each one, as the friends we all are or potentially could be.

But -- say it ain't so -- McCain's receiving "speech coaching," leading me to wonder if it's true what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks. In this speech coaching, one of the things they want to accomplish is for him to rely less on "his favorite semantic crutch — the phrase 'my friends.'" Semantic crutch? This is the good part. You cut out the good part what have you got left?

We shall see what we have left when the friendly bits go. I would like to see him expand on it rather than cut it out. Such as this, accompanied by a very expansive sweep of the room. "My friends -- and you are all my friends -- let me tell you..." If he could just add that, a sincere inclusion of all of us as his friends, I think he'd be on to something.