Where did McCain go wrong?

[gabosaurus]

Can we actually have a real debate/discussion on this? Please?
I would like to have opinions on what issues or actions contributed to McCain's demise. What brought him down in the eyes of American voters?

I honestly believe McCain's biggest mistake was choosing Sarah Palin as VP. She attracted so much media attention (positive and negative) that it overshadowed the points that McCain needed to get across.
McCain should have chosen a stronger VP that would have pushed his issues and policies. Instead, he went with a candidate that he felt would pick up the disgruntled Clinton supporters. Palin's many pratfalls allowed the media to focus on that instead of McCain's positive points.

[-Cp]

Can we actually have a real debate/discussion on this? Please?
I would like to have opinions on what issues or actions contributed to McCain's demise. What brought him down in the eyes of American voters?

I honestly believe McCain's biggest mistake was choosing Sarah Palin as VP. She attracted so much media attention (positive and negative) that it overshadowed the points that McCain needed to get across.
McCain should have chosen a stronger VP that would have pushed his issues and policies. Instead, he went with a candidate that he felt would pick up the disgruntled Clinton supporters. Palin's many pratfalls allowed the media to focus on that instead of McCain's positive points.

Funny you say that about Palin:

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[LiberalNation]

I don't think he did anything so much wrong as the fact the deck was heavily stacked against him to begin with. The incumbent party wasn't going to win with the climate of our country right now.

[manu1959]

Can we actually have a real debate/discussion on this? Please?
I would like to have opinions on what issues or actions contributed to McCain's demise. What brought him down in the eyes of American voters?

I honestly believe McCain's biggest mistake was choosing Sarah Palin as VP. She attracted so much media attention (positive and negative) that it overshadowed the points that McCain needed to get across.
McCain should have chosen a stronger VP that would have pushed his issues and policies. Instead, he went with a candidate that he felt would pick up the disgruntled Clinton supporters. Palin's many pratfalls allowed the media to focus on that instead of McCain's positive points.

he picked palin and the gap closed.......what you should really look at is after 8 years of one party when was the last time the same party held serve.....

[hjmick]

I don't thing he did anything so much wrong as the fact the decked was heavily stacked against him to begin with. The incumbent party wasn't going to win with the climate of our country right now.

That about sums it up.

[stephanie]

wow...that no gloating is sure holding up..

[Hull]

Just too liberal. Too much of a maverick to bring home the conservative vote. He was warned he'd lose if he kept up his maverick rhetoric, talking about taking on his own party, and having best friends like Lieberman.

[avatar4321]

He won the nomination.

[Yurt]

he picked palin and the gap closed.......what you should really look at is after 8 years of one party when was the last time the same party held serve.....

bush's daddy...

mccain's biggest problem - he is mccain

[manu1959]

bush's daddy...

mccain's biggest problem - he is mccain

yep...and before that.....

[bullypulpit]

Can we actually have a real debate/discussion on this? Please?
I would like to have opinions on what issues or actions contributed to McCain's demise. What brought him down in the eyes of American voters?

I honestly believe McCain's biggest mistake was choosing Sarah Palin as VP. She attracted so much media attention (positive and negative) that it overshadowed the points that McCain needed to get across.
McCain should have chosen a stronger VP that would have pushed his issues and policies. Instead, he went with a candidate that he felt would pick up the disgruntled Clinton supporters. Palin's many pratfalls allowed the media to focus on that instead of McCain's positive points.

In the end, it wasn't about McCain...It was a repudiation of of the last eight years of GOP rule.

[theHawk]

Can we actually have a real debate/discussion on this? Please?
I would like to have opinions on what issues or actions contributed to McCain's demise. What brought him down in the eyes of American voters?

I honestly believe McCain's biggest mistake was choosing Sarah Palin as VP. She attracted so much media attention (positive and negative) that it overshadowed the points that McCain needed to get across.
McCain should have chosen a stronger VP that would have pushed his issues and policies. Instead, he went with a candidate that he felt would pick up the disgruntled Clinton supporters. Palin's many pratfalls allowed the media to focus on that instead of McCain's positive points.

He didn't pound Obama over the head with Rev. Wright.

But really, there isn't much McCain could of done. The financial crisis is the reason he lost, and most of the country doesn't understand that the Dems in Congress were far more responsible for causing it than the incumbant President.

Of course Bush did him no favors either. His aloof attitude about the economy, his mistakes in Iraq, and his abandonment of conservatism.

[manu1959]

In the end, it wasn't about McCain...It was a repudiation of of the last eight years of GOP rule.

yep....it has happened every time excpet bush I ( i think)

[Yurt]

yep...and before that.....

franklin

[gabosaurus]

wow...that no gloating is sure holding up..

Only you would interpret a serious question as "gloating."
I simply believe McCain would have put force a more serious challenge if he had chosen a more serious running mate.