Reply #12: Palin wasn't the problem.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

She was the snot-filled nose that comes with a chest cold. She was the horrible sensation we all feel just before we vomit. But she wasn't THE problem. The problem was that McCain and his "handlers" chose to run an almost entirely negative campaign, little knowing that every time they mentioned Barack's name, they were giving him free airtime. Their campaign (still!) has no real platform beyond "the other guy stinks."

Meanwhile, the Obama campaign had plans. They had answers. If they didn't know something, they weren't afraid to say "I don't know, but I'll find out." They resisted the urge to respond to McCain's attacks in kind, instead speaking to the needs and desires of an anxious populace. And Obama himself carried his lanky frame with a quiet cool, coming across as a much better, more modern statesman.

Don't get me wrong: Palin had a great deal to do with the failure of the McCain campaign. She continues to be a laughingstock. But she didn't sink them.