It began directly enough.

Choosing to paint Obama as a lightweight celebrity, John took us on that vital first step towards the truth.  And there was more than truthiness to it.  He's no lightweight, but Obama is a celebrity.  Sure, I'd paint my face and drop my pants for a chance to shake his hand.  But so would Jack Nicholson. There's something to that.

The Alfred to Senator McCain's Batman developed the concept, cunningly disguising his support as gentle critique: "What McCain and his image-makers don't bother to tell us is that all serious presidential candidates are celebrities," he said, but were we listening?

And way back then, on August 6, the greatest clue of all was put via youtube, anonymously, by John McCain.  But we'll get back to that below.

Meanwhile, always ostensibly motivated by tactics, or news cycle management, or sheer desperation, one consistent theme has emerged: ridiculousnessness.

And, of course, manifest incompetence is a vital part of it too:

And (surely this phrase has never been more appropriate) so on.

This has, of course, all the features of just being a big floppy mess.  Indeed, I can summarise the reaction I've seen around the place with a picture I didn't create myself.

Well ensigns, it all comes together tonight.  

John McCain has done everything in his power to convince the world that Obama is a celebrity and a flake.  He has, simultaneously, demonstrated his own vanity, capriciousness and unreliability beyond sensible rebuttal.  He has wilfully metamorphosed, regressed, into the dry husk of a political persona, the nullity, that he railed against, defined himself against, for decades.

And now, having perhaps, almost, proven the vapidity of the political process, the time for the grand finale has arrived, and it is necessary.  For Senator Obama is perilously close to achieving the impossible - dignity - in the middle of this circus, borne out of crisis, the big freeze.

And so, by his sphincter-clenchingly irresponsible actions of the last few days, he has dramatically increased the stakes of tonight's debate.

And after a month of evasion, Sarah Palin has irretrievably soiled her Alaskan trousers in front of a sympathetic, disbelieving Katie Couric, and has, right on schedule, disqualified herself.

And now, as the final piece of the puzzle is about to be thumbed into place, he has revealed the final clue, hidden in plain sight, by carefully worded press release from his campaign:

Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners.

Senator McCain is travelling to the debate.  Then, he will return to Washington.  But who will actually debate?  Not the Senator from Arizona.  That wouldn't be ludicrous enough.  

Who could, finally, whack that nail into the coffin of American electoral democracy?

We already know.  It was all over YouTube a month and a half ago, in a carefully orchestrated, brilliant piece of viral marketing.  Here's how it goes down.

McCain takes a wrong turn and doesn't make it to Ole Miss. The McCain campaign's press release assures us that the debate will continue, with his vice presidential candidate in his place.  But Palin withdraws at the last moment.

We all know who gets up on stage, Tinkerbell under one arm.  Check mate, America.

See you at the debate, bitches.