Subject: Re: can you imagine...
The McCain of 2008 was a contorted McCain.

He was my senator. In 2000, I was still a Republican, and he was my guy. In 2008, he was a mess. Pandering to get votes by nominating Palin (a nightmare in lipstick) as his running-mate, changing his public positions to appeal to the religious right, etc. She really cost him the election. A more sensible pick would have made the race a LOT closer. I couldn't vote for him after that, because (IMHO) he ceded the high ground to pander. So I never trusted him again.