Reading Bill Kristol's colunmn in today's New York Times, I had the following thoughts...

1.  I think his column today is a trial balloon. It looks like a plant from the McCain camp.

2.  It underscores the rock and a hard place position that McCain has put himself in.

3.  If McCain follows Kristol's advice, does a little mea culpa, and then moves on in a positive tone it creates huge problems for him:

   A.  Anything even the slightest bit negative will ring of hypocricy, and the MSM will take great pleasure in calling McCain on it.

   B.  It undermines McCain's unique value proposition, "seasoned judgement."  If he has such good judgment, why did he choose to run his brand, and his campaign into the ground with negative attacks, which he concedes was the wrong thing to do?

4.  If McCain continues as is, then only some kind of earth shattering external event can bring him within reach.  This could be another attempt by Bin Laden to influence the election, or it could be some truly disturbing dirt on Obama, but it has to be of that magnitude.

5.  My prediction...  McCain will do a little of both.  He will not attack Obama on Wednesday, and he will try to take a more positive tone, but he will not issue any mea culpa, and it will be framed by EVERYONE except his immediate campaign staff as a last failed opportunity to change the trajectory of the election.