McCain was in losing mode when Palin bucked their defeatism. McCain, probably on the advice of staffers, gave up Michigan. Palin said, “Send me!” I never thought McCain was a loser (thought a lot of things about him, but not that.) but I think he had a loser mentality advising him. These are the same rats jumping the ship the day before the election leaking stuff about Palin. Rats like these are professional political staffers who, when their candidate begins to go down, are looking for their next job. Part of that process is to NOT let the blame for the loss be pinned on them. Thus the Palin blameshifting.
I first observed this when I was an intern on Capitol Hill in the 70’s for a losing Congressman. Staffers were selling him out right in front of me, no shame. They work for whomever, cross the aisle, no problem. They are not principled. They are technicians, often having disdain for the person they work for.
- John McCain knew, with GWB’s low popularity, gas prices up, and the economy going south (even before it tanked in July), that he wasn't going to win the election.
- John McCain knew that a strong campaign, even if it was ultimately a losing one, would help down ticket GOP candidates and avoid a total Democratic blowout at the congressional, state, county, and local level.
- John McCain knew he needed something to offset the ONE’s star quality because he certainly wasn't going to - especially with the MSM already in the tank with the Dems.
- John McCain knew he would need a high energy campaigner who could really get out the base and draw in at least a portion of the independent vote.
Huckabee was too conservative, and Romney had religion problems (it didn't matter to me but it does matter to a portion of the Republican party base). Besides, selecting them would be just another serving of white bread to a public craving something different.
BHO was the first truly serious African American presidential candidate. So he countered with the first Republican woman VP candidate in selecting Sarah Palin. In effect, McCain countered BHO's star power with Sarah's star power and it scared them. Badly.
It didn't matter that she wasn't really qualified to be VP because they were not going to win. Her job was to electrify the base and get conservative and independent voters to vote Republican for local, county, state, and congressional-level officials. And that was why they ran so hard right down to election day itself.
As a strategy, it didn't work perfectly. But the election wasn't a total blow out either. There was no Democratic tsunami.
And, has anyone forgotten how freaked out the Dems and the liberal press was and still are about her? At least THEY understand how dangerous a relatively young, attractive, articulate (well, once she got her campaign legs under her) conservative is to them politically.
Well done, John. Well done, Sarah.