I don't like the campaign he ran, but that was one incredible concession speech.

I agree.

I agree - one of the best ones I can recall ever by a losing candidate.

And I felt very badly for Sarah Palin who showed genuine emotion out there on the stage. I don't think she deserved the fate people threw at her.

I wish *that* McCain had been around during the campaign.

Sigh.

In the end, I think McCain lost because he didn't trash Bush.
Maybe he's classier than I am.
If I'd been in his shoes, I'd have had no hesitation to trash Bush.

He had a good speech writer tonight.

Gravy Owl Wrote:I don't like the campaign he ran, but that was one incredible concession speech.

:iagree:

Compared to the well-oiled machine that was the Obama campaign, McCain's campaign was terrible. The ads looked cheap and, IMHO, didn't really attack Obama the way that they could have. If McCain had won the election, it would have been inspite of his campaign and not because of it.

Still, a great concession speech. I wouldn't mind seeing Palin again on a future ticket.

The speech reminded me of the 2000 John McCain, straight forward and from the heart. Too bad for him he allowed himself to be made over by Karl Rove and the farther right of the Republican Party and turned into someone the Independents and moderate Republican and Democrats couldn't support.

I'm with Tiki on this. McCain was never comfortable running with the platform and ideas that he wound up running with. His talking points and interests weren't natural fits, and they just didn't flow. I also tend to think (completely as an outside observer) that he really never asserted control over the message and approach and let the political pros do too much of what had always "worked." Clearly, this was a different campaign, and they just didn't come at it creatively but genuinely. In the end, that hurt him.

I didn't see the concession speech (I'll search for it later), so I'll leave that for others to weigh in.

As for Palin, does she name herself as the Senator from Alaska to replace the convicted Stevens? Incredibly, it looks like he may have retained the seat. She's probably one of the better options at moment, and it would give her additional seasoning. (You know she's running in 4 years.) Cynical, maybe, but effective toward an end-goal.

gsloth Wrote:As for Palin, does she name herself as the Senator from Alaska to replace the convicted Stevens? Incredibly, it looks like he may have retained the seat. She's probably one of the better options at moment, and it would give her additional seasoning. (You know she's running in 4 years.) Cynical, maybe, but effective toward an end-goal.

If it's legal (as I understand it, naming yourself is legal in some states, not in others) I think that's kind of a slam-dunk. I think many Alaskans may have voted for Stevens thinking it was a vote for Palin.

lauramac Wrote:I wish *that* McCain had been around during the campaign.

Sigh.

Agreed. I still would have voted for Obama, but I would have been much more okay with the possibility of that McCain winning.

And as for other folks' comments about Palin 2012, my guess is that it would be the big-screen version of Quayle 2000. My opinion: she's absolutely unelectable in a national contest.

JOwl Wrote:

lauramac Wrote:I wish *that* McCain had been around during the campaign.

Sigh.

Agreed. I still would have voted for Obama, but I would have been much more okay with the possibility of that McCain winning.

And as for other folks' comments about Palin 2012, my guess is that it would be the big-screen version of Quayle 2000. My opinion: she's absolutely unelectable in a national contest.

I agree on both counts. McCain has always been one of the Republicans I respect the most. I was disappointed with some of his decisions during the campaign, but if the Republicans were to have won this campaign, McCain to me would have been more palatable than most. His concession speech was as gracious as could be.

Palin, on the other hand... She's popular with the base, but she'll need to do some drastic work on her image to make herself more appealing to independents if she's going to have any hope in 2012.

If she goes to the Senate, I think the potential rift between social & fiscal conservatives in the GOP gets more real. (So, is it pretty much assumed that Stevens will resign? Couldn't he theoretically continue to serve while his case is under appeal?)

Heard McCain's speech and thought it was great.

The "inside baseball" article in the NYT magazine on McCain's campaign advisors made it seem to be a series of "what can we do next" with no overall plan, and it felt that way to me. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/magazi...ref=slogin

I also agree McCain did not seem to have his heart into the red meat attacks, like Obama is a socialist. Check out this week's New Yorker article on socialism, which reprints this:

"During the 2000 campaign, on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” a young woman asked him why her father, a doctor, should be “penalized” by being “in a huge tax bracket.” McCain replied that “wealthy people can afford more” and that “the very wealthy, because they can afford tax lawyers and all kinds of loopholes, really don’t pay nearly as much as you think they do.” The exchange continued:
YOUNG WOMAN: Are we getting closer and closer to, like, socialism and stuff?. . .
MCCAIN: Here’s what I really believe: That when you reach a certain level of comfort, there’s nothing wrong with paying somewhat more."

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/20..._hertzberg

While it is probably not possible, and he may not want the job, I would like to see Obama name McCain Secretary of Defense.

Owl75 Wrote:While it is probably not possible, and he may not want the job, I would like to see Obama name McCain Secretary of Defense.

I'd like to see him keep Gates.

Gates would also be a good choice and I have seen Chuck Hagel mentioned as a possibility.

I'd expect to see Gates getting ready for a statewide run here in Texas... maybe lite guv or US Senate.

I saw where Obama said that he might like to have Gates stay as Secretary of Defense. Gates mentioned that he might like to retire or return back to teaching-He was President of A&M before he became Defense Secretary. Gates had a house in Washington State where he might like to go, so he might not return to Texas. Also, Gates has never run for an office-he has been appointed to the offices he has taken.

texd Wrote:I'd expect to see Gates getting ready for a statewide run here in Texas... maybe lite guv or US Senate.

Well you can put this as my entry in the "Predictions" thread.

75Owl Wrote:I saw where Obama said that he might like to have Gates stay as Secretary of Defense. Gates mentioned that he might like to retire or return back to teaching-He was President of A&M before he became Defense Secretary. Gates had a house in Washington State where he might like to go, so he might not return to Texas. Also, Gates has never run for an office-he has been appointed to the offices he has taken.

texd Wrote:I'd expect to see Gates getting ready for a statewide run here in Texas... maybe lite guv or US Senate.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Gates stay on for up to a year, but not more than that. That could definitely be spun as part of his bipartisan/inclusive push. Gates is not the permanent SecDev, but while things are still sensitive in the prosecution of the two wars, and with Petraeus still early in his Centcom assignment, it wouldn't surprise me that Obama would want to keep them in place until it makes sense to move to leaders he's more comfortable with.

As for statewide office, I believe Gates is in his early- or mid-60s. I doubt political office is on his mind going forward.