Posted on 05/12/2018 7:02:14 AM PDT by Kaslin
In his new book, The Restless Wave, and in an upcoming HBO documentary, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) expresses regret about choosing former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate in the 2008 election. According to TheNew York Times, in the documentary, McCain refers to the Palin selection as “another mistake” he made in a long political career.
In his new book, McCain reportedly claims that former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat, would have been a better choice for the ticket. McCain noted that his advisers convinced him not to choose the Democrat, so he picked the relatively unknown Alaska Governor.
The “maverick” McCain has made a career out of trashing Republicans and “reaching across the aisle” to his friends in the Democratic Party. Of course, he would have preferred Lieberman, who is liberal on fiscal and social issues. A McCain-Lieberman ticket would have been a disaster and lost in a landslide. The only thing that prevented McCain from losing to Barack Obama in a total blowout was Sarah Palin.
While the 2008 was not a rout, Obama handily won both the popular vote and the Electoral College. On the campaign trail, McCain failed to connect with the American people and was nowhere near as smooth or polished as Obama. In the debates, McCain performed badly and was easily dispatched by his opponent, a better politician and presidential candidate.
Instead of being a mistake, selecting Sarah Palin was the best thing to happen to the 2008 McCain campaign. At the GOP convention, she gave a fiery speech that energized the delegates. In her only vice presidential debate against Joe Biden, Palin perform admirably.
On the campaign trail, Palin provided a spark, displaying much needed energy and enthusiasm. While McCain was a poor communicator and lacked vigor, Palin was a powerful speaker who exuded vitality and dynamism.
As the vice presidential candidate Palin was able to rally conservatives, who were unexcited about McCain, and encourage those voters to support the GOP ticket. It was Sarah Palin who helped create the powerful Tea Party movement that drove the Republican agenda for several years. In contrast, McCain was very unpopular with Tea Party groups. His moderate to liberal positions on a number of issues were more in tune with Barack Obama than the Republican Party.
As a presidential candidate, McCain refused to attack many of Obama’s extremely liberal positions. He even scolded talk show host Bill Cunningham for mentioning Obama’s middle name of Hussein at a rally. McCain said the campaign did not want to engage in such tactics. Of course, there was nothing wrong with mentioning Obama’s middle name or blasting his horrible platform.
McCain is a patriot who loves his country. He should be commended for his public service and his bravery as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for over five years. Unfortunately, in these last few years, he has turned very negative and has focused most of his attacks on the Republican Party.
His votes have also become especially unpredictable and have often been in conflict with his campaign rhetoric. For example, when he was running for re-election to the U.S. Senate, McCain promised the people of Arizona he would vote to repeal Obamacare. Unfortunately, after he was safely re-elected, McCain turned his back on his constituents and cast the deciding vote to retain Obamacare. He seemed to relish the opportunity to vote against President Trump and members of his own party.
Instead of being grateful to the GOP for honoring him with their presidential nomination, he seems bitter that he was not elected president. However, he has no one to blame but himself. McCain lost the race because he was a horrible candidate and refused to exploit the many weaknesses of his opponent. He should have followed the example of his running mate who effectively attacked Obama’s liberal positions and made a compelling case for conservative policies.
While Sarah Palin served her party with distinction, she was not given any respect by McCain campaign officials or the Republican Party. Over the last ten years, she said that McCain “repeatedly” apologized for how she was treated during the campaign. As a result, when Palin heard that McCain regretted choosing her, she said it felt “like a perpetual gut punch.”
Sarah Palin deserved much better treatment. No vice presidential candidate in American history has been subjected to as much criticism and abuse. She became the target for Republican elites who hated her style and for comedians who hated her conservatism and her pro-life stance and even mocked her for having a Down’s syndrome child.
Through it all, she handled the pressure with grace and class. Instead of regret, Senator McCain should express nothing but gratitude that Sarah Palin accepted his offer to be his running mate.
I agree, Palin was the only bright spot. McCain bent over backwards to pay tribute to Barack Hussein Obama!!! McCain & Obama two “EVIL” birds of a feather. Satan & Hell awaits both of them!!!
After the way McCain savaged Palin, it’s disgusting that his his family has to gull to complain about a WH staffer commenting that McCain is already completely irrelevant since he will soon be dead.
mclame was a wet spot.
The media should look here at FR about how veterans actually view that idiot McCain. Can't recall any Freeper being a McCainiac.
I voted for Sarah...
and what’s his name?
Palin has been roundly criticized for standing up for McCain despite his many flaws, even when she disagreed with his positions, out of her sense of loyalty to him for selecting her as his running mate. She absolutely does not deserve this disgusting treatment, and McCain and his whole family of enablers that are allowing him to spew this garbage ought to be ashamed of themselves.
If Palin and McCain had switched roles in 2008, I would have voted for her - a WOMAN - for President in a heartbeat. I did end up reluctantly voting for McCain, but ONLY because Sarah was on the ticket. As I recall, McCain’s polls were in the toilet before he announced his VP running mate, Palin.
What he’s said about her on his “death bed” (yeah, I said it) is unforgiveable. She has faithfully defended him the whole time.
McCain, and his airplane demolition derby, is a creep, first class.
Without a doubt.
Without Palin on the ticket, McCain would have gotten slaughtered,
instead of just beaten.
It would have been the biggest landslide since Reagan slaughtered
Mondale.
“Through it all, she handled the pressure with grace and class. Instead of regret, Senator McCain should express nothing but gratitude that Sarah Palin accepted his offer to be his running mate.”
Sarah was the ONLY reason I held my nose and voted for McCain!
Well, her and hoping to stop 0bama...
Palin Was The Only Bright Spot In The 2008 RaceWhich is why he regrets choosing her.
..she was/is great, but I believe now that McCain was SUPPOSED to lose. Hence the reason Schmidt and Wallace set out to destroy her. IMHO...
Agreed, Sarah Palin made me proud.
I voted for Palin and against Zero. McInsane was the turd I hated only slightly less than Zero.
The male version of Hillary Clinton.
How the hell did we even wind up with McCain for a candidate?
I could question if McCain really loves the US.
Agreed, I literally jumped for joy on the news of her selection. It’s clear to me now that she provided the “Exhibition Season” for the current Deep State - Academia - Media cabal-cartel’s attempted coup on our great American President Trump.
Free Republic was there and remains the greatest!
I am starting to think John McCain voted for Obama.
In 2008!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.