look at how McCains people went after Palin after the election. They were just as capable although for all his other faults i don’t believe McCain himself would condone it.
You give McCain more credit than I'm prepared to grant him.
He is known to be famously egotistic and vindictive. I could readily imagine that he somehow blames Palin for his election loss.
I can also imagine that he deeply resented the obvious fact that Palin was more popular than he.
So, yes, I can see where McCain might've condoned his staff's reprehensible actions.