You've gotta be kidding. I wish that were it. You give the electorate too much credit. Average Americans didn't even know what TARP was --- and still don't. That wasn't it. Sadly, they paid more attention to what was going on at SNL than at the Fed. It was a combination of factors in the end.
No, I’m not kidding. If McCain had voted against TARP he would have set himself apart from the field and REAL CONSERVATIVES would have been more impressed with McCain and come out to support him in far bigger numbers. Don’t forget how many conservatives said they would never vote for McCain because of amnesty and other issues. So a lot of conservatives sat home and didn’t vote at all.