McCain and Palin Were Their Own Worst Enemies

CLEVELAND - The utter embarrassment that was the Republican campaign for president has been over for nearly a week with no sign of John McCain.

Too bad we've been inundated with Sarah Palin.

After McCain's emphatic defeat at the hands of President-elect Barack Obama, the elderly senator has been something of a recluse. Palin however, has given several interviews in the six days since her party got throttled at the voting booth.

Just go away, will ya?

The fallout from the GOP loss has been pronounced. Palin has essentially become the scapegoat for all that went wrong as numerous McCain aides have privately criticized her readiness as well as her temperament.

She's even been labeled a "diva."

What I find so fascinating about all this "misfortune" is this: McCain built his campaign on low blows and cheap shots and now he has to accept, along with Palin the dirty truth about their shattering defeat.

They were their own worst enemies.

McCain's strongest attributes were two-fold. He had a huge advantage over Obama on national security and overall experience. He had enacted legislation for decades and been a very persuasive bi-partisan member of the senate. Palin had been a masterful reformer and had a persuasive reputation as a mayor and governor in her own right. She also appealed to small town America as well as McCain appealed to folks that place high significance on "service."

But they largely ignored their strengths.

Instead of staying on message and using their great advantages to steer their run, the McCain-Palin ticket played the attack game. They spent an enormous amount of time trying to discredit Senator Obama which he noted often in the closing days of his campaign.

"John McCain has been spending all of his time talking about me," said Obama in those final days. "He's called me every name in the book but a child of God." So while McCain and Palin played the part of jealous ex-lovers, Obama was as smooth as a summer day is long. He kept his focus and picked his spots to respond to such childish rantings of the Republicans.

All involved got what they deserved.

As we stand now, McCain faces an uncertain future and Palin is getting ridiculed by folks who were "in her corner" just a week ago. She may be relegated to a television career, though. Between McCain, Palin and the annoying "Joe the Plumber," they all seem like comical caricatures of themselves. Not to be taken seriously.

Meanwhile, President-elect Obama, the "man you shouldn't trust" is gearing up for his history-making presidency. He's sharp, highly prepared and extremely intelligent. And he's eager to keep learning.

He's the man for us.