Why John McCain lost the White House
By Jeff Mason – Analysis
PHOENIX (Reuters) – Republican John McCain lost Tuesday’s presidential election because he could not overcome a hostile economic environment, distance himself from an unpopular president or convince voters he could lead them out of the crisis.
As the blame game began, analysts also said McCain’s choice of inexperienced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate raised doubts about his judgment. It ultimately may have alienated more voters than it attracted.
McCain’s attempts to portray Barack Obama as a tax-raising socialist with friends who were terrorists drove away moderate voters, who handed the Democrat a decisive victory on Tuesday.
An extremely unpopular Republican president coupled with a sputtering economy made for a tough political climate for McCain. Even if he had run a perfect campaign, it may not have been enough this year.
After eight years of Republican White House rule, the party had turned off racial minorities, young voters and more educated voters. The final blow was the large-scale defection of working class whites devastated by the economic crisis.
Comment by Cole James on 12 November 2008:
John McCain lost the white house because people were just sick of Republicans, assuming they were all the same. McCain should have chosen Paul Broun as his running mate. I’d support Broun for 2012 if this Obama guy doesn’t work out or if the Democrats defecate all over the conservatives.