FWIW: Bush did not hand the election to Obama;
***I disagree. I posted in 2006 that he should have asked Cheney to step down and install a VP (my hope was Duncan Hunter, or whomever he chose) who would be seen as the obvious golden boy. If he would have done that, he could have had far more impact on the next election with a strong candidate. Instead, he handed it over to the GOP-E and the press, so we ended up with Mccainiack, one of the weakest candidates possible.
Obvious to you; perhaps. Ditching Cheney is not in the character of GW; and it would be just another 'nail' to hammer into him by the Left; and many Repubs; for that matter.
Hunter's name was out there; in the Republican 'field' during Primary season; it did not happen.
McCain, was the beneficiary of 'Party Loyalty'; and we were the losers, for their ignorance.