[nyc1]

You certainly can’t fault Salter’s loyalty.

And this is a good defense of Palin:

“Every candidate for office who takes on an incumbent runs on a message of change and reform. Few live up to their promise. Sarah Palin ran against the political establishment in Alaska with the promise to clean up the self-dealing and corruption that had finally worn out the patience of Alaskan voters. She defeated an incumbent Republican governor and a popular former Democratic one, an impressive accomplishment in itself. But she didn’t just run as a reformer. She governed as one. That was the source of her appeal to John McCain. He holds in high esteem anyone of either party who keeps their campaign commitments to reform. He greatly admired Senator Russ Feingold and the late Senator Paul Wellstone for that reason, despite their liberal credentials and views on most issues. He chose Sarah Palin to underscore his commitment to reform and help him keep his promise once in office. He recognized she had little experience in foreign affairs, but so did his opponent. She was well-versed in the area of energy security, which would have been a priority of a McCain administration. She is hardworking, intelligent, and a quick study, and he believed she would learn by study and experience all she would be required to know as next in line to the presidency.”

[chief_believer]

Good post. Thanks re_tail20.

[Cicero]

To tell the truth, I think maybe McCain is just plain dumb. He means well, he is dedicated to doing the best thing for his country, but he just doesn’t understand what that is.

Thus, for example, he pushed McCain-Feingold because he actually believed that it represented campaign finance REFORM. Of course, that’s what every liberal talking head was saying, and McCain apparently believed it.

He doesn’t seem to understand that it’s not enough to be a maverick. You have to be a smart maverick in a good cause. That’s where Palin has it all over him. Contrary to the media spin, she is not only down to earth and a natural leader, she is also very smart.

[Lloyd227]

"The environment the GOP candidate ran in, which grew worse the closer he got to Election Day, made a very difficult task close to impossible"

I call BS on this one. If McCain were even half a conservative he could have won this election pulling away. Palin almost saved him and still he did practically everything in his power to throw the election.

[flowerplough]

The McCain I know didn’t really want to win the Presidency. He declared, in April(?) that Obama’s attendance at “God Damn America” Wright’s church was off the table as a campaign issue.

[SuziQ]

I often had the feeling that reporters were motivated by a well-intentioned desire to help America prove that we had overcome racial bigotry.

White liberal guilt.