Libertine: On the Prowl

Vidi, vici, veni -- I saw, I conquered, I came. _______________________________________________________________

Why McCain Never Had A Chance

02:53, 2008-Nov-5 .. Posted in politics .. 10 comments .. Link

Last night, shortly after hearing about the Obama victory, I listened to John McCain's concession speech, where the old, independent McCain re-emerged from under the murk of campaign rhetoric. As I listened to him speak, I was reminded of a McCain who would have made a much better president than George Bush, had he been elected in 2000.

But in 2008, he never stood much of a chance of being elected. Putting aside the obvious reason that Obama was simply the better candidate with a better run campaign, I thought of several other reasons which contributed to doom the McCain campaign.

1. George Bush

Arguably the worst and least popular president the United States has ever had, McCain was handicapped from the very start by having to drag around the millstone of guilt by association with Bush. This factor would have hampered the campaign of any Republican candidate, however, not just McCain. Rightly or wrongly, McCain was dubbed "McSame" by a population weary of eight years of inept Republican leadership and who were ready for a major change.

2. Karl Rove

As another blogger said, nasty isn't nice. The dirty campaign he ran that obscured the real McCain, who was relatively moderate and known for reaching across the aisle to work in a bi-partisan manner, backfired on McCain.

3. Sarah Palin

The unfortunate pick of the grossly underqualified and bizarre Sarah Palin was the final straw for many voters, who might otherwise would have voted for McCain. She was chosen to appease a Religious Right that was clearly unenthusiastic about McCain, who was never one of them. The discomfort many people had with the idea of her possibly becoming president should McCain become disabled, was yet another nail in the coffin of the McCain campaign,

4. McCain's age

Directly related to the reason above, compared to the young, vital, and forward looking Barack Obama, McCain came off as old, tired, and mired in the past. Coupled with an extremist, unqualified, loose cannon running mate, McCain's age was a major concern to many voters. He might have been able to mitigate this factor somewhat had he chosen a qualified and experienced running mate with a broader appeal, however. Nevertheless, it was obvious to many that McCain's time had passed and it was time to look forward with a new generation.

There are many other reasons why McCain lost the election, but these four coupled with the obvious reason of Obama simply being an outstanding candidate, were the ones that most quickly came to mind.

Thoughts?

Leave a Comment

Untitled Comment

03:02, 2008-Nov-5 .. Posted by birdsnest
if you saw mccains speech yesterday you would have noticed the crowd was 99.9% white. where as obama's crowd was not only ten times bigger but a mix of races and color. that is why mccain lost.
white people are a minority when compared to non-whites.
obama appealled to far more whites then mccain did to non-whites.
that to me was the main reason.

Untitled Comment

10:03, 2008-Nov-5 .. Posted by sladewilson
McCain's crowd didn't surprise me. I might do my own list but it will be close to yours, Lib. Good post. I have some other ideas to include though...

I'll link you. Maybe we can start a meme...lol.

Untitled Comment

03:28, 2008-Nov-6 .. Posted by texican
I agree, and Birdy makes a very valid point. I remember my high school government teacher making a similar point 25 years ago with regard to the voting power of a unified minority group.

Untitled Comment

08:36, 2008-Nov-6 .. Posted by dantesinferno
About McCain's campaign, I liked what Jon Stewart said about him not even a week ago. Something like "Had John McCain ran against Gore in 2000, I'd have voted for him. But I don't recognise the man today."

EclectaComment

08:46, 2008-Nov-6 .. Posted by Eclectablog
When I watched McCain's speech, it proved to me something I have thought all along: McCain didn't believe his own rhetoric. He was comfortable speaking for the first time in months because he actually spoke from the heart. During the campaign against Obama, he always seemed disjointed and fake to me and I honestly believe it's because he was saying things he either didn't believe or didn't feel comfortable saying.

That said, he deserved his loss. If he allowed himself to be corrupted by the worst elements of his party's political structure, including people that slimed him in 2004, he has neither the judgment nor the cajones to be a good leader for this country. Barack Obama ran his campaign on his own terms, not on the terms of other people in the Democratic Party.

Second, it wasn't Sarah Palin herself that was the black mark against McCain so much has his selection of Sarah Palin. Again, it showed a complete lack of leadership and judgment, something we so very much do NOT need at this point in history.

One of the sweetest moments for me was watching Palin and her very angry-looking husband walk off that stage. Those that think she's some kind of political force to contend with in 2012 or beyond are fooling themselves. She will be eaten alive by anyone, Republican or Democrat, that runs against her. She's a novice and it showed in nearly everything she did.

She never gave a press conference during the entire campaign. I hope that people understand the importance of that fact.

Untitled Comment

09:08, 2008-Nov-6 .. Posted by sladewilson
Don't underestimate Palin's thirst for power. She's had a taste and it has been reported by none other than her own beloved Alaskan press that she is an opportunist. If Ted Stevens does indeed win his election (which is what looks like what will happen), I will bet my last dollar she'll go for his seat when he resigns and go to Washington. She'll get all cutesy with the conservative elite and have them teach her the lay of the land.

She'll make a play in 2012 unless it looks like Obama is a lock to get re-elected. If that's the case, she'll wait it out. Unlike Hillary, time really is on her side. The only thing that might stand in the way of all of it, is clearly the woman has no control over her family. If they become a problem, it can derail her ambitions but I wouldn't put it past her to cut them off also...

EclectaComment

10:40, 2008-Nov-6 .. Posted by Eclectablog
Well, historically, vice-presidents from failed campaigns rarely make a splash after the election is over. I'm dubious that she'll ever have prominent position nationally. Perhaps as a senator or representative but that's only because just Alaskans will be voting, not the whole country.

Untitled Comment

01:34, 2008-Nov-6 .. Posted by libertine
At some point, I'm thinking that McCain just didn't care any more if he won and was just going through the motions.

I'm hoping that Sarah Palin's fifteen minutes of fame are over, regardless of her wishes.

I'm wondering if they'll still force their daughter to marry that guy now that they're not going to Washington.

EclectaComment

01:46, 2008-Nov-6 .. Posted by Eclectablog
Yeah, I was wondering about that, too. I think there's going to be some weirdnesses reported from that family over the next 6-12 months that are going to make her husband and her older daughters really question whether or not it was all worth it in some way. It's bad enough to be an unwed, teen-aged girl but to have your situation splashed across the national news media outlets has got to sting. I thought her husband looked positively PISSED on the podium while McCain was making his concession speech. He looked like he wanted to get in a 'copter and go shoot something.

I heard that Palin wanted to say something before they left the stage but they told her "no!" Heh, heh...

Untitled Comment

01:53, 2008-Nov-6 .. Posted by birdsnest
ha! Palin you suck.