Just Curious - When Did John McCain Begin To Realize That He Was Going To Lose To Obama?.....

[global1]

I'm just wondering when it became apparent to John McCain that he wasn't going to beat Obama. Was it soon after his Palin pick or was it closer to election day?

And did McCain's behavior change at that point? Or did he keep up the facade that he was going to win the presidency? If his behavior changed - how was that translated in his demeanor on the campaign trail; in news media interviews; in his day to day dealings with his campaign staff and supporters?

Did this insight come out in that book "Game Change"?

[Itchinjim]

1. A couple of seconds after Sarah first spewed words out of her pie hole.

[thelordofhell]

2. I think it was when he was on Saturday Night Live

[HooptieWagon]

3. Selecting Palin was a desparation move...

to fire up a lukewarm base, so I think he knew he was in trouble beforehand. Rmoney selecting Ruin has the same stench of desparation...

[Marcia Brady]

4. Believe it or not, I think Palin improved his numbers

If I remember correctly, the race was very close right up until the financial collapse. After McCain suspended his campaign, Pres. Obama surged ahead.

[HooptieWagon]

6. Financial collapse happened before Palin pick.

Remember when Grandpa suspended his primary campaign to go back to DC to "save" the economy? He was already toast. RWers didn't embrace him and Wall St didn't trust him. Palin pick was to excite the base, b/c without them you're toast... no matter how well you do with swing votes.

[chrisau214]

5. I'm Not Sure He's Figured It Out Yet

Someone should give him a call.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. I think it's right around when they started running the "celebrity" adds. nt

[blm]

8. By March 2005 after Bush went after Social Security just as Kerry had said he would.

Everyone knew that the next Dem nominee would win the WH no matter who it was.

[WinkyDink]

9. Always.

[Skidmore]

10. When Palin announced she was going rogue.

[CTyankee]

11. Had to be before he picked Palin cuz she was going to be the "game changer," remember?

[TeamPooka]

12. The old lady "He's an Arab..." moment.

He realized that his group was bat-shit crazy and there was no talking them off the wacko ledge.

[Motown_Johnny]

13. When he gave up on winning Michigan.

At that point the electoral map became very very very ....... very difficult for him. That is when Palin went off on a nut and wanted to come campaign here (I am in MI) because even she could see that they would lose if they couldn't carry Michigan.



He behavior didn't really change but it is when Palin really went "Rogue".



Edit to add link


http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2008-10-02-2824987828_x.htm


^snip^

The decision marked the first time either McCain or his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, has tacitly conceded a traditional battleground state in a race for the White House with little more than a month remaining.

In a campaign now unfolding across more than a dozen states, the decision allows McCain's resources to be sent to Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida and other more competitive states. But it also means Obama can shift money to other states like Virginia, Colorado and North Carolina where he is trying to eat into traditional Republican territory.

By pulling out of vote-rich Michigan, McCain conceded a large part of the electoral map in the heart of the industrial Midwest.

[Amak8]

14. September 15, 2008

Lehman goes down, DOW drops 504 points.