CFP: 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 The New 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. more here
Palin was the only reason I voted at all…….
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell
Yep, Sarah Palin, and watching Hillary get kicked to the curb by Barky. Remember the PUMAs? “Party Unity My Ass” lol
Palin was the only reason I contributed to the RNC & McShitStain’s campaign … & he does what he’s done to every person that ever helped him out in his life … he shits all over them
rot in Hell John Boy …. make a nice, hot spot for him, FDR In Hell
Me too, Crackerbaby. I had a hate-on for McCain since early 2000s. I even sent a brick to his office. (Through the mail, not his window.lol)
I like how McCain and Hillary are on their own ‘blame everybody else” book tours.
As said 2 days ago.
The “Palin Bounce” had them leading in some polls and neck + neck in others mid Sep. Then Johnny said he would continue the Bush policy of funding ISIS/Al Queda/Taliban by taxing Americans $4 a barrel on oil; rather than dirty ANWR. After Johnny said “Bush/ISIS good -“Drill Baby Drill” bad “they fell out of the lead in ALL polls. WITH GOOD REASON!
She had the best resume
Palin was the only reason I didn’t sit 2008 out. McShitstain certainly wasn’t worth it as a candidate, and I thought Palin and an early dirtnap for Songbird would have been the optimal situation.
And then we got obongo…..
If Palin had had a low, commanding, alto voice and lightning fast debate backhands like Jean Kirkpatrick (remember her?), McCain might have been HER running mate (but never in a million years!)
“He even scolded talk show host Bill Cunningham for mentioning Obama’s middle name of Hussein at a rally.”
That was when I knew he lost. Because during that same time, 0bama was the one using his first middle and last name! So what was the problem?
McCain threw the race. Nobody is that dumb. I wonder how much money they paid him?
Me too on Palin, a patriot with strong leadership skills.
Palin drew thousands to a rally in Henrico, VA. We stood for hours waiting for her.
She was enthusiastically received. If McCain held such a rally I never heard about it and wouldn’t have gone.
Palin is the only reason I voted at all in 2008 as well. Obama didn’t worry me that much in 2008 as I figured there wasn’t a dime’s worth of difference between Obama and McCain anyways. I still think that.
I was sincerely hoping that McCain would up and die and we would have a decent accidental President for once in quite a while.
Palin is the only reason that bastard McCain did as well as he did!
I now think he was the managed opposition that was designed and built to lose, just like Romney.
When I first heard Ann Coulter say that in 2015, I thought she was over the top, now I realize how realistic she was.
We have a highly corrupt political system and social elites, and I have no idea who is at the top of the power pyramid, but I KNOW they HATE Trump, so I’ll stick with him for now.
My guess would be in hindsight Sarah would probably agree to not have been picked. He hung her out to take over his campaign then ran back to DC to be a Senator again.
Can BFH share the Palin Pinks photoshoot from 2010, they are collectors items?!/.
As I noted previously, by September 2008, I had already taken an xacto knife and excised McCain from my McCain-Palin bumper sticker. I share the belief that McCain deliberately threw the election. The guy has always been a closet democrat.
I know there are many (including myself) that wished they got elected and someone capped his lame ass and she took over!
SHE was the one with The GRAVITAS at least with us…remember the BS word(s) THEY use(d). It’s to manipulate.
She has amazing armor. A self sense of confidence, FAMILY and being the guvna of the largest state helps!
I liked her, but was dismayed by her twit daughter and her dumb-ass boyfriend and their potential antics in the VPs residence in Washington. I also think Sarah was a bit too wide-eyed and naïve, and the media wolves saw her as easy prey.
In the future, she would make a fine candidate for President. She’s been through the worst the media can throw at a conservative, and she should be ready for them next time. Trump has carved out a method for dealing with the media and she should adopt it for future campaigns. A bit of killer instinct would be good for her, as would a little less overall cheerfulness, especially when dealing with the likes of Katy Couric and Joy Behar. Going for the jugular is necessary when dealing with leftist media types.
I also thought she would be a good selection as VP for Trump. She’s remains on the bench for now, but one day she’ll be ready.
You betcha!
tick tick tick….
…waiting for Meghan McCain to apologize to Mrs Palin, in person, for her father’s perpetual jackass behavior….
I remember it was about 15 minutes after Pain was announced as the VP choice that the press and leftists went nuts and started right out to destroy her. They knew she was the jet fuel McLame’s campaign desperately needed, so they had to extinguish it. She’s the only reason I voted in that election.
McLame with Liberman, would have lost nearly as bad as McGovern did.
The one thing he did that helped him he absolutely didn’t want to do.
McCain in a nutshell. No, he wanted the Democrat VP pick from the 2000 losing campaign to run his kumbaya ticket. Democrats didn’t want Lieberman so why would Republicans.
McCain is who he is. Who he always was. A fucking turncoat cocksucker. Can’t fault him for being who he is.
No, that blame falls on the RNC who enabled his wet matches, zero grassroots support candidacy.
Both parties are dead but the election laws have such a high barrier to entry that we can’t put a stake in them.
JM’s biggest mistake looked back at him every time he looked straight into a mirror.
I saw a McCain/Palin bumper sticker on a car this morning. Figured those had all been scraped off by now.
Again, my lack of charity toward a dying man is dismaying–just a little–but Hell, John. Go there. Now.
John was/is a demonrat globalist plant. He threw the election. He is/was the Manchurian Candidate.
I’m sure the only reason McLame picked Palin was he thought he might be able to sleep with her.
Palin was the best thing that ever happened to his miserable “designed to fail from the start” campaign.
Where could Palin piss off the left the most? Head of the IRS?