This Isn't A Fair Fight

[Alex]

Isn't it still within McCain's power to reject matching funds and campaign without the limits imposed by accepting them? Isn't he choosing to handicap himself, if it is a handicap? Or is the reason he hasn't done that (and McCain did drag his feet for a long time without making a commitment one way or another) because he figures he will be better off financially with the public funds than without?

And the 3rd and 4th sentences of your second paragraph can't coexist.