You really think McCain could have won if he had gotten more personal with Obama? You really think Bob Dole could have won if he had made personal attacks against Bill Clinton?
They were the two worst Republican picks in decades.
If the product is bad, there is very little the advertising can do.
Bob Dole and John McCain could not have won if they had done everything right.
I think McCain would have had a much better chance if he had simply gone after Obama’s policies and how disastrous they would be for the US and our economy.
He also should have used Palin as the VP is intended to be used, as the attack dog instead of hamstringing her.
Palin should have been hitting Obama and Biden up for their gaffes, their lies, and brought up how radical those two were and how radically they would change the country.
McCain should have gone after Obama’s policies, how they would have destroyed our economy, went after his for wanting to appease our enemies and the risks doing that would place us. After letting people know in no uncertain terms how horrific the Dems would be, he needed to hammer home his plans and the benefits they would bring.
Instead we got “Obama would make a fine President, you have nothing to worry about” - oh really? Who in the US isn’t worried right now? Obama?
Yeah, you wouldn't have wanted voters to know about Obama's sordid personal history. That might have tarnished the whole hope and change thingy.
Telling us Obama looks funny is personal, telling us his healthcare legislation sucks or his moratorium on drilling or the mosque is not.
GHW Bush won his first term because he bloodied up Dukakis with ads put out by Lee Atwater, then proceeded to do nothing to respond in 92. The dems won congress in 2006 by bloodying Bush personally (who didn't respond due to "the new tone", much like Pence and you seem to want), then slaughtered McCain by tying him to Bush.
Sorry, you simply don't know the history of winning (and losing) campaigns.