How Obama Lost the ElectionI'm not as confident as the writer, but this strikes me as
on the money:
Obama will spend the rest of his life wondering why he rejected the obvious road to victory, that is, choosing Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential nominee. However reluctantly, Clinton would have had to accept. McCain's choice of vice presidential candidate made obvious after the fact what the party professionals felt in their fingertips at the stadium extravaganza yesterday: rejecting Clinton in favor of the colorless, unpopular, tangle-tongued Washington perennial Joe Biden was a statement of weakness. McCain's selection was a statement of strength. America's voters will forgive many things in a politician, including sexual misconduct, but they will not forgive weakness.
As I said when the nomination was announced, Palin was a choice from surprising strength, a nomination that said, "I'm going to win this thing." Biden was a choice from surprising weakness, a nomination that said "I hope I don't blow it."