In 2008, John McCain finally got his wish to be the Republican nominee for President. His timing and his selection of a VP candidate were both horrible.
Since 2005, President George W. Bush’s popularity had plummeted, due in part to the perceived mismanagement of Hurricane Katrina relief, specifically to New Orleans, and due to a looming financial crisis that would crater the stock market in September 2008. This, coupled with a new face of the Democratic party in Barack Obama, made McCain’s climb to the pinnacle of American government that much steeper.
For Vice President, McCain, a decorated war hero, chose little-known Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Though attractive, herself a fresh face in national politics, and the first female nominated for Vice President of the Republican Party, Governor Palin proved to be a marketing disaster. Her appearances on national TV programs did nothing to dispel the idea that she was inexperienced and could be a divisive voice. The media did nothing to point out her positive attributes, namely that conservative women (and men) liked her.
In the end, McCain and Palin were handily beaten by Obama and Biden.
The pin shown here is one of my favorites, having been made for the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. The slogan and visuals are great. The campaign was not.
