The results are in: so did Palin help or hurt McCain?
Even those who voted for McCain yesterday should be happy for our country on some level. While conservatives may have disagreed with Obama on the issues, his historic victory makes him our first African-American president, which is something our entire country should be proud of.
Watch Barack Obama’s speech in Chicago:
During his concession speech, McCain acknowledged this historic victory. “This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight,” McCain told supporters.
Watch John McCain’s concession speech in Phoenix:
For the first time in the last two months, the election coverage did not feature talk that dissected Sarah Palin. She was essentially an unmentionable, out of the picture. But naturally, while McCain gave his concession speech, I was wondering what he would say about Palin.
Not too surprisingly, McCain said she was “one of the best campaigners I have ever seen, and an impressive new voice in our party for reform, and the principles that have always been our greatest strength.” Palin stood off to the side.
But should McCain be lavishing her with such praise?
Palin is obviously a very conservative person. She originally excited the base, but then alienated conservative supporters as she became increasingly inarticulate, politically unsure of herself, and obviously inexperienced. While I am positive that most conservative voters voted for McCain regardless of their feelings about Palin, I have a feeling that many independents were turned off by her. For a country that is ready for change, the Republican Palin seemed to represent the notoriously inarticulate George W. Bush.
Palin’s nomination launched a negative McCain campaign, which I am certain turned off independent voters already feeling cynical about the political process. The McCain campaign felt compelled to attack the media for what they said was “gotcha journalism,” and while the coverage of Palin and her family was initially unfair, the campaign’s obvious disdain for the media detracted from the real issues. Instead of uniting conservatives and appealing to independents, Palin was ultimately a divisive and controversial running mate.
As a result of his campaign’s defensive and negative tone, McCain was perceived as a bitter 72-year-old man instead of the humble, intelligent and experienced candidate who voters supported during the primaries. While I was watching the election returns, exit polls suggested that McCain did very well among late-deciders. In the days before the election, McCain returned to his original persona during the primaries, the experienced voice of reason. If McCain had kept his cool, things may have been different.
