'Nope' beats 'hope' in the state that always calls it

'I don't mind him being the captain of my football team, but I don't want him running the country.'' That was the first conversation I had about Barack Obama as I got off the plane at Cincinnati airport. The second nearly involved my getting straight back on it: the immigration officer wasn't impressed with the way I'd filled out my form. He wasn't particularly impressed with John McCain, either. "It's Obama's to lose,'' he barked at me, before sending me on my way.