John McCain's 'Dive of Death'

WASHINGTON — John McCain's "Dive of Death" wasn't, after all -- the Republican magician and political showman ended up alive on Wednesday night following his 60 second stunt of turning his campaign upside down, to return to Washington and address the country's financial crisis.

McCain, 72, had been dangling from a political umbilical cord attached to a large papier-mache sculpture of Sarah Palin, built high over the White House, since the Republican National Convention, except for regular breaks for resuscitation and medical checks during which he was somewhat coherent for periods of a few to several minutes each.

However, the McCain campaign spectacle ended abruptly on Wednesday, during a nationally telecast television special, which was filled out with taped footage of McCain performing and interacting with voters across the country, and several "do not try this at home"-type disclaimers.

But McCain had one more illusion for his fellow Americans: after suspending his campaign on Wednesday, McCain plummeted more than 3 points in popularity, while swinging briefly from the 'Palin cable'.

He then seemingly disappeared into the night sky, high above the White House, as President Bush, Senator Obama, and stunned audience members looked on in amazement.

McCain said the stunt got easier after the initial press conference, as his body (and the American public) adjusted to the shock, and he maintained that he is alive enough to sign autographs, take pictures and even do card tricks while his campaign is suspended.

The stunt was only the latest in a series of McCain's public antics. In October 1967 he spent 1,980 days inside a prison camp in North Vietnam, and in 1979 he spent 10 months dating Cindy Lou Hensley while married to his first wife Carol Shepp.

McCain has also spent the last 24 hours inside the transparent box of illusions that have become his hopes to win the November presidential election.

Original photo credit: NatalieHernandez (with digital assistance from JS)