Palin gave McCain about two days of campaign time, in return for his selecting her as his V.P. Yes, she helped McCain in that election far more than he ever helped her. But she paid her debt.
McCain made a big deal out of her endorsement, but Palin did not. She endorsed him lukewarmly, and only spent a couple of days at it. No conservative voter who was paying any attention at all would have voted to re-elect McCain to the Senate after all he did with McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, amnesty, and the rest. Presumably he was re-elected for the usual reasons, because he provided a lot of seniority and pork.
I know that’s how a lot of folks wish to remember it. That’s not the whole story.
Yes, she only spent a day in the state if I remember accurately. She also cut some spots for radio broadcast, and those were aired non-stop for months at a time throughout the state.
She also made appearances in front of the Tea Party, and assured them McCain was one with them, a real Conservative.
The other primary contestant on the Republican side took a ten point hit after Palin’s appearances. Just imagine if she had stood up for the things she believed, and had called McCain on the carpet for his treachery. I think it could have made a very big difference.
Would it have altered the outcome of the primary race? I don’t honestly know. It very well could not have. I’d sure like to know if it could have, and we’ll never really know that. That’s the shame of it.