He puts his faith in experts and asks voters to as well. William Bennett on drug policy, Lindsey Graham on health care, John Breaux on Medicare. Out of all the domestic issues that cut with voters, his campaign has offered detailed proposals only on Social Security reform, taxes and health care, and that plan was held together with Post-it notes and glue sticks. That's why people who disagree with him say they will vote for him anyway, and why his supporters tend to give him the benefit of the doubt. They trust him, so they trust that he will come up with a plan.
Reporters fall into the same trap.
In his genial conversations with the press, McCain often seems a good deal more moderate than he actually is. He speaks of universal health care but offers no plan to get anywhere close. But there's less reform than meets the eye. Some of his colleagues wondered if he was more interested in holding a victory press conference than passing meaningful reform. Bush went after McCain's reform credentials last week, pointing out that as Commerce chairman, McCain has been willing to milk the system he rails against.