The current campaign fandango duo of John McCain and Sarah Palin increasingly resembles two spinning tops moving around and around without deviation or alteration, ultimately frustrated when nothing happens.

What the Republicans of the Steve Schmidt variety, the protégé of Karl Rove, do not recognize is that the only message they have had in years, that of attack and more attack while avoiding the real issues confronting Americans, is not working with the people they need to forge a majority.

While some mainstream media analysts shake their heads and comment about a strategy based on futility that is failing to show results, a focus on basic human psychology indicates why the same attacks are repeatedly used, even after their own Republican internal polling almost assuredly reveals that the efforts have been fruitless.

One of the hardest things to do is to teach a dog new tricks, and this is probably doubly so relating to attack dogs.