McCain: Not many regrets about campaign

The Hill, Washington DC ^ | 2009-01-25 | Klaus Marre

[rabscuttle385]

Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, said Sunday he had few regrets about his White House campaign and no second thoughts about picking Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

“I don’t have a lot of regrets about it. I think we ran an honorable campaign,” McCain said on “Fox News Sunday.”

The Arizona senator added that he was proud of things he had accomplished during the campaign and the people he surrounded himself with. In addition, he argued, the campaign may have made him “more effective here in Washington in these very difficult times.”

Asked specifically about Palin, McCain stressed that there were no regrets.

“I think the world of Sarah Palin. She energized our party. She has a bright future in our party. I’m pleased to have known her and her wonderful family,” he stated.

McCain noted that there is a great need for bipartisanship in light of the challenges the country and its new president are facing.

[Mr Rogers]

What juvenile comments? That we despise him? Didn’t you read anything DURING the primaries?

If it weren’t for Palin, Juan would have completely lost the conservative base. If it had been Hillary vs McCain, I’d have voted for Hillary - that is how much I despise my weasel senator. Hell, part of me is GLAD we don’t have the same policies coming from a McQueeg WH...

[DPMD]

“I think we ran an honorable campaign.” John McCain.

“A good loser is still a loser.” Leo Durocher.

[justiceseeker93]

Also there should be no open primaries.

Yes, excellent idea. (Sorry it kind of slipped my mind.) Problem is, though, I think that change has to pass through the legislature of each state concerned. State law governs the procedures of the primaries (also general elections).

[justiceseeker93]

A good loser is still a loser." Leo Durocher.

That's only a paraphrasing of what Durocher said. The exact quote is: "Nice guys finish last."

[KC_Conspirator]

I don’t think he threw it, I just think that his approach in mid-September was awful. I don’t know if he could have done anything about the monetary collapse, but he campaigned like a nebbishy republican.

[Penny]

Distasteful as the task was, I have read each of your comments on this thread.

Are the Queen of Commentary on FreeRepublic? Does it occur to you that your attempts to be the thought and comment police officer here indicate your elitism, a hallmark of the looney left socialists we take to task on FR? Are only your refrains, in other words, worthy of print?

PULEEEEEZE!!!!

Penny

[rabscuttle385]

If you thought Melinda's comments were...distasteful, you probably missed this recent thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2169765/posts

[Grunthor]

“just more MDS from the same old people...living in the past; sad, really sad”

So McPain is NOT the POS RINO that many here believe him to be?

[Grunthor]

“This is what Democrats are working toward, a complete separation between Republicans in power and Conservatives.”

The Democrats need not work toward this, the RINO elite are doing that job just fine on their own.

[Jackknife]

Hey Juan, I have a BUNCH of regrets about the campaign!

[Melinda]

“Are the Queen of Commentary on FreeRepublic? Does it occur to you that your attempts to be the thought and comment police officer here indicate your elitism, a hallmark of the looney left socialists we take to task on FR? Are only your refrains, in other words, worthy of print?

PULEEEEEZE!!!!”

That’s hilarious. Thanks for the LOL!

[browardchad]

McCain also noted that he did not like the idea of granting a waiver to new ethics rules for William Lynn, a lobbyist for Raytheon, who is nominated to become deputy defense secretary. “I think it’s a bit disingenuous to announce strict rules and then nominate someone with a waiver from the rules that you just announced in one of the most important jobs in Washington, the number two person at the Defense Department,” McCain said. However, he added that “I think we need to probably move forward with his nomination.”

Cognitive. Dissonance.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"I wouldn't say McCain "threw" the election"

I would. I never saw any GOP Presidential candidate that anxious to lose.

[justiceseeker93]

I never saw any GOP Presidential candidate that anxious to lose.

It's true that McCain could have ran a much better campaign. He left a lot of potential issues unexplored or underemphasized, but being a subpar candidate doen't imply you are "anxious to lose," any more than a batter striking out means that he's dumping the game. I don't think that the choice of Palin as running mate was consistent with a "dive." Plus, McCain performed well in the last debate when he finally went on the offensive and staggered O.

You can easily compare his losing campaign to Bush Sr. in 1992 or Bob Dole in 1996 for fatal flaws.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I watched those debates. He was pathologically incapable of attacking his good buddy, the False Messiah. If there had been a Conservative Republican up on stage, he’d have not hesistated to disembowel them. I’m just very sorry he didn’t make his party switch official back in 2004. He’s already done so by his own behavior and actions.

[Just A Nobody]

I think that change has to pass through the legislature of each state concerned.

I may be wrong, but I believe the party muckity mucks make the rules for the primaries. As a delegate for my district and state conventions I could not find out exactly WHO made the rules for the primary.

I sat with my state representative and my local party chairs, outgoing and incoming, at the state convention and never got a straight answer.

[justiceseeker93]

Perhaps you can get an answer to the rules for primaries question by going to a law library (or a good public library) and looking at the state statutes of the state under consideration. I would go to the comprehensive index of the state statutes and look up "Elections" and/or "Primary Elections." Then look up the section(s) listed and see if there is a reference to voter registration for the primary by party. I would guess there would be, and the statute would spececifically state if the primaries are open to all voters (open) or limited to party registrants (closed).

BTW, there are states with no formal party registration, so it would be impossible to run closed primaries there until party registration of voters is introduced.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"The Republicans keep sending me mail asking for more money."

I use the postage-paid envelopes that they send to write little notes of displeasure and send them to the RNC. They aren't listening, but it makes me feel better. ;-)

[mike.musculus]

Your comments are an interesting take considering McCain's actions over the past decade have been as either a spoiler to Conservatism, or as often, to advance Liberal & Anti-Constitutional causes.
While people here might on occasion go overboard, every person having heartfelt convictions has a need to vent. Your comments indicate that you have either no heartfelt convictions or yours are not in sympathy with the majority who read these threads. That causes one to wonder why you subject yourself to these "pitiful" comments, defending a lion of the Socialist agenda, except perhaps out of either a sense of loyalty to the JM brand of Overbearing Governmentalism or contractual employment obligations.

The very fact that you've made atleast 1 false or erronious[sp?] accusation, (opposing JM is a waste of time); and made 2 false statements:
(1)JM won't run again, contradicted by JM himself.
(2)The statement "it is a waste of time up there in MI to oppose JM" does double duty because JM's "leadership" on behalf of the Obama Agenda effects the entire country. This sort of statement indicates either abysmal ignorance of the Senate's role or willing partisenship work for the otherside.
In either case your protestations and those of your fellowtravellers & sock puppets should and will be ignored.

The problem w/JM is that he champions those forces which oppose Liberty. Whether he is aware of it & condones Oppressive Governmentalism - or is simply a gloryhound of the MSM's creation - is moot, since the outcome is identical.
That he is a "believer" in Oppressive Govrnmentalism is supported by his actions & many of his unguarded statements. That he is working toward Socialism is undeniable given the bills he has sponsored. That at one time he was a hero is moot since his current actions harm the Republic he claims to love. If indeed he truly loves the Republic, it is our duty to stop him from participating in further damaging it, in honor of the man he was. He must be retired.