[Retired Greyhound]

We’re talking about the AZ GOP primary, which is not exactly a replica of the U.S. as a whole.

She definitely helped him in the primary by endorsing him. He would have won anyway, but JD was viable. She should have kept her mouth shut.

On the other hand, she didn’t help Joe Miller beat Murkowski in a write-in, so her influence may have diminished between March and November.

Her mistake was endorsing McCain. Inexcusable.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

It's rather strange that very little is said about the way Palin threw Miller under the Bus, a Tea Party candidate, and could have easily short circuited Murkowski’s write-in campaign but did nothing.

Then they wonder why there is so much to doubt about their champion.

[Forty-Niner]

“....He would have won anyway, but JD was viable.”

We disagree on this point. If the vote totals between JD and MacCain were within 5-7% I might have agreed with you, but at 20%/80% I don’t think that Palin was a factor. You underestimate the power of encombancy vs the value of outside endorsement.

“On the other hand, she didn’t help Joe Miller beat Murkowski in a write-in, so her influence may have diminished between March and November.”

What should have diminished is your perception of the value of personal endorsements in political races. I would think that most people look to see who endorses who/what as a check on their already made decision, rather than as the sole reason to vote for or against someone....

As far as I can tell, Miller was as poor a campaigner as JD, and that commonality alone accounts for each of their electoral losses, Palins endorsement or lack of endorsement, notwithstanding.