Originally Posted by
ljshorty89
McCain ran a fairly strong campaign with what he had, but the problem with Palin was that she scared away more voters than she brought in. She scared away most people with her ridiculously conservative ideals. It scared people away that she was as against abortion as she was(completely against Roe vs. Wade). It scared people that she flip flopped on her bridge to nowhere(supporting it, rejecting it when it was an embarrassment, then saying she was never for it, then keeping the money). It scared people away that she fired a sheriff over his refusal to fire her former brother in law without reason. She wanted the guy fired because of a rough divorce, and when the sheriff wouldn't fire him, he was fired instead (also the guy tasered a kid, acqusations of domestic violence among other "charges") . That could also be considered Insubbordination. It scared people that she couldn't make up her mind with colleges. She attended at least 4 different colleges, and never stayed at one for more than 3 consecutive semesters, taking over 5 years to gain her bachelors. I really didnt know much about the college thing but 5 yrs to get a degree is pretty much par for the course. And in general it scared people that she had such a terrible interview with Katie Couric. You can tell me all day that Couric was a part of the "gotcha media", but it was not like she was hitting Palin THAT hard. I didnt get to see the interview.I mean, "What magazines do you read, give examples?" is not that bad a question. Palin was just not ready to be thrust this far onto the national stage so quickly and so visibly, and it showed. Maybe in 4 years(or more likely 8+) she will prove that this was a "rookie mistake", but that's far from a given.
He could have chosen either Huckabee or Romney, and he would have had fewer mistakes
Huckabee would have been a TERRIBLE choice. He's had his fair share of gaffs (probably on par with Biden and Palin) when speaking, a minister who once said people with aids ought to be isolated, he would have scared many pro-choice and seperation of church and staters, and the non-religious. Would have done nothing to bring in the right wingers that didnt want to support McCain for being too moderate , and a better shot at winning those states like Indiana and Virginia that ALWAYS go red, but this year went blue. Indiana and Virginia flipped largely due to first time voters and blacks. No one short of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson would have prevented that.