Horse****. Palin was the reason he did as well as he did.
Quoth McCain:
“I want to be president of the United States, and obviously I do not want Obama to be,” he said. “But I have to tell you, I have to tell you, he is a decent person, and a person that you do not have to be scared as President of the United States.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubSTY7pAh-c
He threw the election, IMHO.
Just like he was told to do.