McCain sounds forced, Hillary sounds desperate, Obama made me laugh aloud. This is a good example, though, of why I can’t help but sympathize with her to some extent: The “Hill-Rod” thing is so painfully lame, even as a form of ingratiation, that it’s almost endearing. She’s like the class nerd running against the homecoming king, trying to connect with people in a way that comes easily to him but not to her. So she goes out there and makes a dork of herself, knowing it’s the best she can do and hoping at least to earn some points from being seen as a good sport. Keep that chin up, Hill-Rod.