McCain says he regrets choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate

The forthcoming final memoir from Senator John McCain, titled The Restless Wave, and a nearly two-hour-long HBO documentary on its way seem to be being used as an opportunity to settle some scores. Jonathan Martin of the New York Times has obtained copies of both books, and has spoken with the ailing senator at his ranch, where he seems to be spending his final days. This leaped out at me:

While he continues to defend Ms. Palin’s performance, Mr. McCain uses the documentary and the book to unburden himself about not selecting Mr. Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent, as his running mate.

He recalls that his advisers warned him that picking a vice-presidential candidate who caucused with Democrats and supported abortion rights would divide Republicans and doom his chances.
It is odd indeed to call it “sound advice” and to simultaneously wish he had disregarded it. Logically, this seems to mean that he wishes he had lost, while making a futile gesture towards bipartisanship, or maybe just avoiding contamination with the populism of Sarah Palin. It is an open secret that members of McCain’s campaign sought to sabotage Palin during the campaign, apparently preferring to lose rather than tolerate her views and her persona.

This odd, unsourced paragraph written by Martin offers a clue:

Yet many in Mr. McCain’s own party believe that, by selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008, he bears at least a small measure of blame for unleashing the forces of grievance politics and nativism within the Republican Party.

I strongly suspect that McCain himself expressed these views to Martin, but asked not to be quoted.

The Bush League Republicans made sure we would have no choice but amnesty candidates [in 2008].

Things had been looking bad for years prior to 2008. After Bush 43 was re-elected, conservatives pinned their hopes on George Allen of Virginia, but he quickly flamed out. Then their choice was Fred Thompson, but he had no fire in the belly. In desperation, many of us switched to Romney, but he promptly went bye-bye. So McCain, who even at that time was heartily hated by the GOP's conservative wing, sewed up the nomination virtually without a fight.

"I didn’t want anybody for president. "

I was in the same boat as you. I wasn't impressed with any of the candidates, Trump included. It wasn't until I started listening to him, and learning that he wasn't afraid of fighting back, wasn't afraid of saying what I'd wished past Republican candidates had said. The man has actually has a backbone, and a set of MAGA balls, and he loves this country. And I'm so glad I finally got to vote and not have to hold my nose.

He has regrets about Palin? People don’t vote for Vice President. They vote for president.

Let’s be real here.

McCain was horrible during the debates, up against an opponent who was going to get a huge black turnout and the housing crisis hit. Plus he stopped campaigning for a while ... during ... the campaign.

McCain was gonna lose no matter what. The question at the time was by how much was he going to lose by?

For the first time in decades, with Donald J. Trump, we didn’t have the GOPE “It’s My Turn Candidate!” And that is why the GOPE is so against him. He ruined their “ongoing plan” to be the “loyal opposition party!” The pay is the same and you can pontificate about what you “would do” if only you were the majority party, but never have to actually do it. I mean if you want to see how the GOPE really operates, all you have to do is look at their deceit when it came to the repeal of Obamacare.

"He wanted LEIBERMAN!!?" Another bulled dodged.."

I'm thinking McLame wanted Lieberman/Loserman because he figured he'd be able to bully him. Joe has a very wishy-washy personality, and could easily be ruled by McLame. Sarah, on the other hand has a very strong personality, and I think McLame knew he wouldn't be able to intimidate her like he could Lieberman. McLame could have run with Jesus as his VP choice, and he still would have lost to Bath House Barry. McLame is not a leader or a giver...he's a taker.

There was a candidate that would have been a great President and would have secured our borders.
But the Bush League Republicans would not allow that.
George Allen, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson were blockers for McCain. He had already been promised it was his turn and he was the perfect Designated Loser for the Kenyanesian Usurper.
The RNC crowded the field to make sure conservatives did not coalesce around Duncan Hunter.

Will she not be invited tp the funeral?

Sara Palin had a lot of potential to be Pres or VP if she'd had a few more years in the spotlight before being chosen as McCain's VP. His sick expectations for her in the campaign did a lot of damage to her potential.

If he'd let Sara be Sara, would he have won?

McCain recalls he was warned that picking Lieberman as a VP candidate supported abortion rights would divide Republicans and doom his presidential chances.

BACKSTORY Lieberman is a pathological liar---who thought nothing of climbing on the backs of the unborn to power himself into office.

He surfaced as a candidate for Weicker's seat.....but the calculated Lieberman saw a huge bloc of pro-life votes pro-abort Weicker could not hope to get.

So Liar Lieb met with the Bishop and pro-lifers and swore he was pro-life and would vote that way.

He was elected----and no sooner was he in office, he vote voted for partial birth abortion SIX times.

And when the Senate was voting to oust the impeached Clinton, the liar hemmed and hawed and grieved about Clintons sex deeds.....BUT he ended up voting NOT to oust Clinton.

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