Had McCain picked Sanford as VP in 2008, he may have had a chance. But no one knew that Sanford had affairs with other women.
Stop. The nation knew DJT had affairs and he was elected because he was the political opposite of the two stiffs you mentioned.
Trump won in 2016 because he presented a different political and social message than McCain, Sanford, and Hillary. Affairs don’t matter anymore unless you have a political message that resonates with average people and as long as you focus and be disciplined.
Sanford is a safe, strong man, but would have been destroyed if his affairs came out.
No Republican would have won in 2008 after 8 years of GWB/Cheney, it was just impossible.
But McCain could at least have poured more money in MO, NE, IA, NC and other battleground states to win.
Sanford in 2008 was seen as a GOP star because he was a Gingrich Republican, not a Bush Republican.