As we prepare for the Republican Convention, it’s important to remember that these kind of festivities don’t really tell us a whole lot about the candidates. The events are too rehearsed, too myopic, too important for any politician to dare be himself or herself.

That’s why it’s key to look beyond the traditional formats to get to know these guys.

While the Democrats were showcasing Michelle Obama and Ted Kennedy on Monday night, I found two of the more revealing profiles far away from Denver.

ESPN’s Stuart Scott played one-on-one hoops with Barack Obama and while the game was a bit ragged, the courtside conversation was not. Obama scored big points when Stuart asked him who he would root for in a Cubs vs. White Sox World Series. Without hesitation, Obama went with the Sox, saying going to Wrigley Field was a fun place to visit and have a beer, but that nobody there really cared about baseball. His heart belongs to the blue-collar world of the Sox.

I’m willing to bet that answer got as many votes as any one of Michelle Obama’s clever lines did.

John McCain spent Monday night with “The Tonight Show,” and while he’s an old pro at these things - this was his 13th appearance - I found it refreshing that he came with a few “I’m so old” jokes of his own. “My social security number is eight,” he said.

Yeah, he’s been doing the self-deprecating schtick for a while, but it’s still effective. What isn’t is the tired ol’ joke about asking a late-night talk show host to consider being a VP. Whoever the next president is should have that bit outlawed.

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