I get the feeling that, while McCain really *did* want to be POTUS, he didn't want to *run a campaign.* He just wanted it to happen magically.
Trying to catch up, I totally missed the end of 61*, but hey, I'm #6!
Teppy, I wanted to address this point, because I think you hit the nail on the head. This is exactly what McCain and to a lesser degree perhaps, W.'s attitudes have been all along.
As a privileged son, he had so very much just handed to him that he didn't have to actually work for and I think this is an attitude that is so core to his central being, there's no real escaping it.