He was discounted and ignored for several shortsighted reasons.
- The Mormon thing was bigger than it should have been-here on FR there were numerous ugly comments made, harkening back to Catholic bashing during JFK's run.
- His moderate record as governor. People can change and evolve. Recall Reagan's moderate policies as Governor of a liberal state, he then evolved into the conservative champion. Romney has been proclaiming conservative values since 1994.
Bottom line, I think voting for McCain was a mistake. I predict that if he wins, we will regret it constantly. I think it will be a painful experience. I liken it to driving while drunk and killing someone, then dreading your decision after sobering up, as the full impact of your bad choice sets in.