Totally my experience as well Todd. They couldnt get it together so they went after Palin.

Makes perfect sense to me now but certainly didnt at the time--the idiots working for McCain were so hell bent on disliking Palin that they lost sight of the big picture like winning an election. HOWEVER--do not be fooled--again as someone who was there watching the entire debacle play out, the McCain campaign sucked LONG before Palin was ever even mentioned. Lazy with no ideas and waiting for the "Bradley effect" to do their jobs for them. I heard more about that from the campaign then I did anything about actual strategy.

I have firsthand knowledge as to why these attacks on Palin are wrong at best. In 2004 I was a volunteer for the Bush campaign in Columbus, Ohio. In 2008 I did the same for the Mccain campaign. The difference between the two was vast. Where as the Bush campaign was run with competence, motivation, and extreme effort the Mccain campaign as disorganized with little help paid or otherwise. The ONLY bright spot in the entire debacle was when Sarah Palin was announced as the VP running mate. For the first time during the entire campaign we saw voters show up asking for signs, to help, etc. And the only signs we ever ran out of were of the Sarah! variety. I am sure the Mccain staff wishes Going Rogue were fiction-In fact it details the very reasons why the campaign was unsuccessful despite the emergence of Sarah Palin.