Could someone enlighten me about something I find confusing about GOP?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

McCain won the primaries. Not Huckabee or Brownback

The runner-up, Romney is someone considered on the moderate side by most people (aside from wedge issues)

If McCain's big hope was for crossover votes from more conservative (and possibly racist) Dems, and the disappointed Hillaryites, plus the middle Independents,why did he trash his hope for almost all of those votes by going with the female Huckabee?

Someone explain the strategy.

[liberal N proud]

1. Ah - I don't know

But then that is why I am not a republicon. Some warped ideas McNuts had?

[Eric J in MN]

2. McCain wanted to excite the religous right, and he succeeded. NT

NT

[lutherj]

3. The GOP is screwed. Their coalition is falling apart.

[DJ13]

4. McCains campaign is run by Rove's people

They are big picture types, who probably expect to lose this year and think their best hope is to keep the GOP base intact for the future by selecting a religious person for McCains VP.

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

5. McCain despises Romney with the fire of a thousand hells...

there was no way he was ever going to pick him.

[anigbrowl]

6. McCain is a dead ender. Sarah Palin is the new GOP poster girl

If they lose the election, she'll hold them together for the next 4 years. Conservatives don't actually like McCain, at all. They'll be delighted to blame him for costing them the election and start work on the 2010/12 campaign the day after Obama is inaugurated.