Exhibit A

McCain is just not up on the issues. In order to win this election he's going to depend heavily on his advisers and will only be able to open his mouth when they say he can. Here's example A:

McCain wants to ask Colorado for more water. That sounds innocuous enough until you realize that:

1. Colorado already feels like it is getting shafted in the current water deal
2. Colorado already feels that California is more politically powerful and thus constantly worried that the national government is going to step in favor of California.
3. Colorado is a battleground state.

I'm sure that when McCain said that he wanted to renegotiate the water deal he wasn't thinking that his comment would be a big deal, but as senator to Arizona, a state that would benefit from taking more of Colorado's water, this can make him look like a bad choice for leader of the bunch.