McCain says he regrets choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate

The forthcoming final memoir from Senator John McCain, titled The Restless Wave, and a nearly two-hour-long HBO documentary on its way seem to be being used as an opportunity to settle some scores. Jonathan Martin of the New York Times has obtained copies of both books, and has spoken with the ailing senator at his ranch, where he seems to be spending his final days. This leaped out at me:

While he continues to defend Ms. Palin’s performance, Mr. McCain uses the documentary and the book to unburden himself about not selecting Mr. Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent, as his running mate.

He recalls that his advisers warned him that picking a vice-presidential candidate who caucused with Democrats and supported abortion rights would divide Republicans and doom his chances.
It is odd indeed to call it “sound advice” and to simultaneously wish he had disregarded it. Logically, this seems to mean that he wishes he had lost, while making a futile gesture towards bipartisanship, or maybe just avoiding contamination with the populism of Sarah Palin. It is an open secret that members of McCain’s campaign sought to sabotage Palin during the campaign, apparently preferring to lose rather than tolerate her views and her persona.

This odd, unsourced paragraph written by Martin offers a clue:

Yet many in Mr. McCain’s own party believe that, by selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008, he bears at least a small measure of blame for unleashing the forces of grievance politics and nativism within the Republican Party.

I strongly suspect that McCain himself expressed these views to Martin, but asked not to be quoted.

EVERY Republican who voted for this lying, pompous bum in the 2008 primary is a damnable fool. But, by not inviting Trump to his funeral, he is merely showing his concern that the President may get burned by the fire burning underneath the church consuming him and all his hate-filled deceased buddies.

"It is an open secret that members of McCain’s campaign sought to sabotage Palin during the campaign, apparently preferring to lose rather than tolerate her views and her persona."

This is exactly what a lot of us sensed during the campaign. People like Steve Schmidt set her up to do the interview with Katie Couric and were constantly criticizing Palin during the campaign. McCain didn't really care that much about winning the election. He just wanted to have the nomination to boost his own ego and reputation. He only cares about himself, not about the Republican Party or the country, and certainly not about conservatives. He will NOT be missed.

Sarah would have made an OUTSTANDING president. Infinitely better than McCain as we have seen him prove over the years. He knows that and his DC-ego does not permit him to be gracious about it.

Washington is full of them — classless and totally self-serving America haters. I find some comfort in knowing the American people are wising up to this...slowly.

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