ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style2 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style3 { height: 69px; } .MsoNormal {} .style4 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } .style5 { font-size: small; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> <table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr height="79"> <td width="133" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" height="79" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="79"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td width="133" height="2">&nbsp;</td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style2">McCain&#39;s Downfall</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curtis</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b><a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright November 5, 2008<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="style4">P</span><span class="style5">r</span>esident-elect Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) scored a dramatic win Nov. 4 over his GOP rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), winning 53%-46% of the popular vote, scoring a clear landslide in the Electoral College 364-163.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Pre-election night polling underestimated the extent of the Barack s margins, especially in Nevada where the typically red state spotted Obama a nearly 13% margin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>By the time the polls closed on the east coast, McCain didn t know what hit him, falling to keep the race competitive in Republican strongholds like, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Florida and New Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> McCain only won his home state of Arizona by less than eight percent, an alarming number when you consider its long GOP tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While the GOP licks its wounds, McCain must figure out what went wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Too much emphasis has been blamed on President George W. Bush and the bad economy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>McCain s maverick tradition morphed since losing to President George W. Bush in 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He became more oriented to Bush s neoconservative ways, especially after Sept. 11 when the country rallied behind the war on terror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain lent Bush considerable support in the senate, not only going after the Taliban in the months following 9/11 but the lead up to the Iraq War. Obama successfully tied McCain to Bush s hip, showing little separation on key domestic and foreign policy issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> As the conventions drew near, Bush s evangelical base showed little enthusiasm for McCain, lobbying hard for a conservative VP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Barack picked Joe Biden for his VP to shore up in lack of foreign policy experience, he got a bump in the polls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>By the time the convention ended Aug. 28, McCain watched Obama s lead began to get out of reach, causing panic inside the campaign.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>During the week of the Democratic National Convention, McCain s team huddled to make his VP pick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> McCain s campaign manger Rick Davis, strategists Charlie Black and Steve Schmidt, concluded that McCain needed something dramatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>They vetted Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ricdge, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I.-Conn.), and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romeny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>On Friday, Aug. 29, one day after the DNC convention, McCain announced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP pick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Cheers rang out across the evangelical community, realizing the once maverick senator had thrown them a bone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain threw all the pundits for a loop, galvanizing the news cycle with his unexpected pick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When the euphoria died down, Democrats and moderate Republicans gasped, unable to comprehend what looked like a foolish gamble.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Palin s pick gave McCain a 10-day bump in the polls, eventually reversed when she consented to a low-key interview with CBS News Evening News anchor Katie Couric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Palin-euphoria quickly vanished, leaving the campaign on the defensive explaining her qualifications for VP, let alone president.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Then came biting criticism from former Secretary of State Colin A. Powell and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a sane voice inside what s left of the moderate wing of the Republican Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>At his gracious acceptance speech Nov. 4, McCain praised Palin for being an upcoming force in the GOP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He suggested she was the future of the Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He couldn t bring himself to accept that Palin frightened off independents, moderate Republicans and crossover Democrats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>McCain s brain-trust thought Palin would deliver Bush s base and Hillary s disgruntled female supporters.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>When Bush s approval dipped to 25%, McCain should have realized it was foolish to keep pursuing Bush s base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Instead of picking Palin to go after the base, McCain would have been far better off staying with Mitt Romney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Only evangelicals couldn t stomach Mitt s Mormon faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>They treated him like his faith came from outer space not Salt Lake City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>GOP insiders should be dealing with the most egregious prejudice seen in the 2008 campaign:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>The intolerance by Christian evangelicals of Romney s Mormon faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Romney s executive experience and vast knowledge of the economy would have balanced out the GOP ticket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Palin solidified Bush s shrinking base but alienated 75% of voters seeking practical solutions to tough problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Instead of solving real problems, McCain s presidential decision demonstrated blindness to the needs of anxious voters.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>McCain s downfall began Aug. 29 when he picked Palin for his VP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>His concession speech showed he s still in denial that Palin seriously crippled his campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He faced steep headwinds from an unpopular incumbent and poor economy, needing far more than placating Christian evangelicals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Palin s appeal to  Joe six-pack and McCain s foolish embrace of  Joe the plumber showed mainstream voters that his campaign was out-of-touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Too much negative campaigning also backfired, making McCain look desperate in the final weeks before the election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Instead of ingratiating himself to Bush s base and catering to evangelicals and neocons, McCain would have been more competitive had he picked Romney and wooed mainstream voters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whatever consultants thought Palin would attract the votes of disgruntled Hillary supporters should find a new career.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<bAbout the Author</u><b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.&nbsp; He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <i><a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a> </i>and <i><a href="books.html"> Operation Charisma</a></i>.</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td width="133" height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="133" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Home</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> || <a href="articlesindex.html">Articles</a> || <a href="books.html">Books</a> || <a href="teflon.html">The Teflon Report</a> || <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> Reactions</a> || <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">About Discobolos</a></strong></font> <div align="left"> <p><font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">This site designed, developed and hosted by the experts at</font><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"> <a href="http://www.cmeonline.net" target="_blank"><img height="30" width="138" src="images/cmelogoANIM.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></a></font></p> </div> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>