Top Thirty Errors That Doomed McCain

Pajamas Media ^ | November 4, 2008 | Jennifer Rubin

[yankeedame]

Top Thirty Errors That Doomed McCain

The results are in and the recriminations have begun. Sure, it might not have made any difference, but the number of sins of omission and commission by the McCain campaign is breathtaking. Let’s get a head start on the finger-pointing and give you the top thirty mistakes John McCain and his team made:

• Not pursuing the Reverend Wright connection, as an issue of judgment and then credibility. Even Jerry Nadler knew it was a sign that Barack Obama lacked political courage, i.e., character.
• Waiting until September to raise Barack Obama’s other troubling connections (e.g., Bill Ayers, Rashid Khalidi).
• Failing to devise a comprehensive economic message until the final weeks of the campaign.
• Failure to explain the Democrats’ role in the financial meltdown.
• Not enough talk about “friends of Angelo” and Democratic corruption.
• Wasting his convention speech on “bipartisanship” and biography instead of pounding home a core economic message.
• Frittering away time and money in Iowa.
• Losing time in the spring when McCain had sewn up the nomination but Obama had not. An ideal time to begin defining the contrast in messages.
• Appallingly deficient “oppo” research and timing. Why didn’t the “bankrupt the coal industry” tape come out before the final weekend?
• Going to war with the MSM without an effective plan to use alternate media to get their message out.
• Cutting off McCain’s daily access to the traveling press corps.
• The frenetic response to the financial meltdown. (Fire Chris Cox! Cancel the debate — no, hold the debate!) All that was missing was juggling knives on a tightrope above a fire pit.
• The roll-out of Sarah Palin.
• The internal trashing of Sarah Palin.
• The failure to put Sarah Palin on every radio and TV outlet they could find in the final two weeks of the campaign.
• The failure to find a top-flight economic advisor.
• Shutting down McCain’s regular contact with new media outlets.
• An insufficiently tough attack on Joe Biden’s lobbying and earmark activities.
• An insufficiently tough attack on Obama’s coziness with the Daley machine.
• An insufficiently tough attack on Obama’s ties and subservience to Big Labor.
• Failure to use McCain’s position in the U.S. Senate to introduce legislation and force votes on the floor that would have defined the two candidates (e.g., a budget freeze).
• Permitting chaos and public fighting among campaign staff. Heads should have rolled.
• Waiting too long to introduce the specter of undivided government.
• Waiting until the final Saturday Night Live before the election to show self-deprecating humor.
• Not firing Palin’s entire staff when they publicly trashed her.
• Insufficient registration and party-building efforts in Colorado and Virginia.
• Too much whining about the MSM.
• Too much hostility toward conservatives offering smart strategy and policy ideas.
• Not enough explanation and focus on Tony Rezko.
• Not enough explanation of the Herbert Hoover analogy (higher taxes and protectionism made the Great Depression worse) to a voting population that doesn’t know who Hoover was.

There is no telling whether some or all of these errors made a difference. Certainly it was the toughest of years for Republicans. Nevertheless, the campaign was one of the worst displays of organizational and ideological disarray in recent memory. Future candidates should take note of the errors and the error-makers and plan their campaigns accordingly.

[verity]

For a start, why would conservatives vote for a liberal?

[Signalman]

Romney would have won. Case closed.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Excellent list! Just wonder who in his campaign finally got the nads to tell him to pick a Conservative running mate...because McCain would have definitely picked another liberal...and suffer a 50-state defeat

[luckystarmom]

Personally, I don’t think it was McCain’s fault.

I think the fault lies with the republican party for allowing open primaries. We need every state to have closed primaries that do not let independents or democrats vote for our nominee.

McCain got the nomination because of open primaries. He would not have gotten the nomination without them.

[7thson]

I think one word encompases all thirty reasons - pride. Maybe another word - stubbron. Pride and stubbron. While he was on once with Chris Plante and Hannity, he could not swallow his pride to go on Rush, Levin, Boortz, and all the rest of them. He goes on the shows that kiss his arse. Pluse, he wanted to do it his way - stubbron.

How many caught his concession speech? I caught part of it. He was more polite to Obama than he was to Bush back in 2000. I don't know the full SC story back then but you can't tell me that Obama's campaign treated him with kid gloves - making fun of his age, his disabilities, etc.

[Henderson]

During this election, I got to know Sarah Palin. Only bright side of this election is Sarah Palin. She will be the pillar and foundation of conservatism in the US. That is more than enough for me to get up and come to work today.

[Red Steel]

• "Failure to explain the Democrats’ role in the financial meltdown. "

  This one cost McCain a 5% swing in votes.

[wolfpat]

I stand corrected.

[Notary Sojac]

1. Not opposing the bailout.
2-30. See reason 1.

[7thson]

Once again proving my theory that the best looking candidate on television wins the election.

[snarkytart]

You’ve made a point many people didn’t really talk about.
McCain’s age hurt him very much. There is no way anyone over the age of 55 will ever be elected President (for a first term)in this media age ever again.

[SonsOfLibertyII]

We can always drive to other states to witness to people. Believe me there are plenty of potential converts all over SC and the surrounding areas. In the world not of the world. There are plenty of opportunities even if conservatives come to live a little closer to each other, right?

[buckalfa]

Not so fast my FRiend. SC may be the next NC come 2012.

A transient national workforce, illegal immigration, a sizeable minority population, retirees from up North means that SC’s demographics will be changing over the next few years. The future of SC as a conservative stronghold may be in doubt.

[7thson]

Yes, he could. Because he would counter Hussein’s negative view of America with the truth.

[theDentist]

He ran a timid campaign, as did the RNC nationally. He was running for Second Place, Runner Up, the Silver, History’s Footnote, the Asterisk in an Encyclopedia, the Not Ready for Prime Time Player, Bridesmaid, and Mr Nice Guy (and nice guys finish last).

[lone star annie]

Not having a coherent economic message and saying dumb things, like “I don’t know much about the economy.” Simple soundbites repeated over and over like “We don’t punish employers, We need them to have employees.” Or, “That 5% percent increase in taxes, could mean your job.”

[SonsOfLibertyII]

If we can’t keep little ol SC, then you may as well throw in the towel.

[Tennessee Nana]

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The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill

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The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill

The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill

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The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill

The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill The AMNESTY Bill

[Only1choice____Freedom]

"Failure to explain the Democrats’ role in the financial meltdown. "

This one cost McCain a 5% swing in votes.

Correction, this one cost him ALL of the swing votes and much of the rebub's.

This one needed to be shouted fromt he rooftops.

From McCain - crickets until it was too late.

[concerned about politics]

Yes. All of those.

Oh please. Oboma was the first black candidate. The entire hate America world was watching to see how America treated him. They wanted propaganda to use against us. Had he been white, The Hillary loving press would have torn him apart during the primaries like any other candidate.

That's why he was untouchable, and why the left was so lawless right in front of our faces. The hate America UN had his back, and his wallet, covered.

Sara Palin was great. If it weren't for her, the McCain candidacy would be a non-event.