It retrospect I think McCain was the weakest candidate the GOP could nominate

[WI_DEM]

This isn't taking anything away from Obama's brilliant campaign. He would have beat any of them. But McCain just doesn't have it. He looks old and mean--has no understanding of how to run a campaign and is weak on the issues. The base doesn't care for him. Even though I disagree with him on most issues I think the strongest candidate would have been Huckabee. Why? First, the base would have lined up behind him (religious ultra conservative) allowing him to pick somebody other than Palin as VP. Secondly, while what he promotes is the worst he himself comes across as affable and folksy--in other words likable, two things McCain can't even fake. Finally Hucklebee on economic issues has a populist streak about him--he would have been more effective in the debates than McCain.

So all in all, I'm really happy that the GOP went with the "maverick".

[FrenchieCat]

1. The reason why Barack and Hillary battled it out like they did

was specifically because both knew that this was their biggest battle...and that the next step would actually be easier.

Either would have won....just that the Hillary campaign would have gone a different route in defeating McCain.

But I think any Republican would have had a hard time, period.

[DrToast]

2. Don't agree...

This was a bad year for Republicans. And yet McCain consistently outpolled the unnamed Republican. Why? Because he has (had?) a lot of appeal among independents. He's a maverick, doncha know? And he's a war hero.

Any other Republican would have been crushed by more.

[Overseas]

6. I agree with you that he was their best choice because of the MAVERICK branding.

But the public is less dumbed down than the Republican elites expect, so they actually looked at McSame's voting record and thought about how closely he was aligned with Bush.

Even with a major campaign push to revive the Maverick branding, even appointing an unqualified Christian fundamentalist VP who was supposed to be a maverick, didn't help.

But he was their best choice as a SUPPOSEDLY non-Republican Republican.

[CatBO]

11. McCain could have been a strong contender, to be sure...

That polling you're talking about, I remember it. McCain DID consistently outpoll other Republicans, back when he was truly "mavericky". He outpolled other Republicans because no one wants a Republican in the White House this year. And McCain was the least "Republican" of them all, until...

... Until he decided to take the low road, and hire Rove's protege on his campaign.

McCain was rudderles and directionless until he hired Steve Schmidt on his campaign. But even so, he was still electable.

After bringing aboard S.S., McCain became a true Republican: a hatemonger, a racist and an unconscionable liar. That's when he became supremely unelectable. His very Republican (i.e. hatemongering, bigoted) choice of Sarah Palin was the final nail in his coffin.

Make no mistake: The John McCain who wasn't a Republican, the one who wasn't a racist and a liar, he could have won. This new McCain is dead on arrival. McCain was a fool, and I will be glad to see the old man eventually go to his grave with two failed runs for President under his belt. He deserves nothing but our scorn. He doesn't even deserve our pity anymore.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. i agree. even if it isnt true people think of mccain as anti bush

[LSparkle]

3. I was thinking Romney would have been stronger but you're right about Huck

He was a very likeable character, even if most of his
positions scared me to death. And you're also right
about the religious right falling in line behind him,
whereas Romney might have had the same problem BombBomb
has had solidifying the base (yes, the Mormon issue).

And I absolutely agree with you about Huckabee's
debating skills and TV persona. He almost makes
Caribou Barbie look like a piker, he's such a
natural.

[speedoo]

9. Romney would have been the best rethug candidate.

He has weaknesses, but far fewer weaknesses than Huckabee, who has some completely whacko positions (eg, flat tax).

McCain, running a strong campaign, without the gimmicks (Palin, suspend campaign, JTP) and campaign theme reversals (experience/change/go negative) should have been a strong candidate, but he self-destructed.

Giuliani would have been a disaster.

[Terran]

4. If Huckabee had toned down some of his weird RW ideas

like replacing the US Constitution with the Bible, I think he would have been the nominee. And I agree, he is far more personable than McCain will ever be, and he could have picked a much more moderate repub to balance his ticket. I think we're lucky it wasn't him.

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. Huckabee by far was their best chance at the white house

it wasn't even close in my eyes.

I'd rank the GOP candidates in this order

1. Huckabee
2. Romney
3. McCain
4. Guliani

[bluestateguy]

5. I always feared Giuliani the most

But McCain was perhaps the second best candidate they could nominate.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

7. McCain could have been unbeatable

If he didn't sell out virtually every position he has taken in public life and alienated all his democrat, moderate and independent supporters.

Now he is stuck in the ether, he alienated most of his supporters and the American Taliban still hates his guts.

[thereismore]

19. democratic. nt

[Overseas]

20. That's a good, efficient description of how things stand. //nt

[TheDonkey]

10. Any rethug campaign would have looked exactly like McTroll's all they have it hate, no good ideas

I think McCain was an ok candidate but like Obama said, the only other option was a crossdressing mayor of New York. That was "some primary".

[kimmerspixelated]

13. Agreed. I was thankful Huckabee wasn't chosen,

cause he was so likeable(if you like that sort) he could talk the wolfman into wearing a flea collar. Yep, the maverick izzz toast....however they can still steal it, you know they'll try.

[Orsino]

14. They're all weak.

Every damned Republican who threw his hat in the ring. They were afraid to govern informed citizens, and counted on ruling through fear.

[stray cat]

15. McCain should have been unbeatable - he has been a pandering fool instead

[TragedyandHope]

16. I've suspected all year that they wanted to throw this election

I've posted about this a few times over the past months.

From the start, history was against them being the incumbent party. Bush has flushed the country and the economy down the toilet in worse ways than we could've imagined. As insiders, they had a much better idea than we did of how bad the economic meltdown was going to be back when they nominated McCain.

The base hates McCain, the RW talkers were rabidly against him and there was a lot of hate from his own party in the blogs and media. I think they nominated him to take a dive and let the Democrat get stuck with with some of the biggest and worst crises in American history.

At some point after nominating McCain as their fall guy, they saw how bloody the Democratic primaries were getting and started thinking, "Hey, we might have a chance after all." So, they all switched gears and flip-flopped from McCain haters to McCain defenders, but they are stuck with a dud of a candidate, a joke of a VP pick and no message.

History and the economy and OBAMA is against them. The writing is on the wall.

[newyorklenny]

17. McCain was the best chance for the GOP

Back during the GOP primaries, the Republicans resisted McCain because he is so far from the typical right candidate. At least he was, back then. He snatched the primary, despite the cold reception from the base, and for a while, looked like the best shot for the GOP.

But, he's had to pander to the base and has let his campaign run amock in the last few months. He looks like a horrible candidate now, but didn't back in the summer.

Of all the GOP candidates in the primaries, McCain at least had a chance against Obama.

[Thrill]

18. Romney was the guy Democrats wanted to run against

He's said so much stupid shit. And he buys companies and lays off the workers. He's a Mormon. The christain conservatives wouldn't have voted for him. And he's hated in his own state.

McCain has the media love and the war hero going for him. And the fake image of a Maverick.

Obama would be up by 20 points against Romney

[MissMarple]

21. If the GOP movers and shakers are really behind McCain, why does he have such a bad campaign?

His staff certainly aren't the sharpest tacks in the box, mean, underhanded, and opportunistic, certainly. Is this the best the GOP has, have they fallen that far? Or did the smart people just back away to sit this one out?

McCain has no ability to run a campaign. Arizona has been handed to him on a silver tray. He is in over his head, and acts like he is in "Top Gun" and his name is Maverick. And this guy wants to run our country, and be the leader of the free world. Gordon Brown is probably quietly chuckling his socks right off.

[Unsane]

22. Huckabee-Crist would have driven them wild.