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News has been circulating around GOP insiders for weeks that McCain campaign honchos Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt were planning to blame Sarah Palin for McCain’s loss.  This was expected to be an effort to punt the blame for their own failures to the side of the ticket that was most popular with the base, attracted the largest rally crowds, and scared the living bejeepers out of the opposing party.

The slander was projected, and appeared immediately after the election. 

What was not anticipated was the disgraceful level of venom-laden vitriolic drool that dribbled from their camp, and their use of a respected Fox News reporter as their personal tool for deflecting their own accountability.

Last night on the O’Reilly Factor, McCain campaign embed Carl Cameron laid out Davis and Schmidt’s case against Palin with glee that channeled junior high mean girls, and details only worthy of the National Enquirer on its darkest day. 

I will not repeat the charges here.  Listening to Cameron report these insults from “campaign insiders” who didn’t have the courage to speak publicly themselves, it was clear that these were comments that would never be said about a male candidate.  

As a human person, I was shocked.  As I woman, I was disgusted.  As a conservative who understands how important this new fresh face has been to our political renewal; I was incensed. 

As a Republican, I was ashamed. 

The principal himself, John McCain, was a far better candidate then the quality of his campaign would indicate.  There was no perceivable ground game or coalition effort, and offers of assistance from seasoned conservative GOP operatives were repeatedly rebuffed. 

The inclusion of Governor Palin on the ticket changed everything for conservatives that still comprise the base of the Republican Party.  Many decided that instead of staying home on election day or voting for Bob Barr, they would donate, volunteer for phone banking and actually vote for John McCain.

Senior campaign officials should stand up like grownups and take responsibility for the outcome of the campaign instead of throwing the girl under the bus.  Fox News’ Carl Cameron should go to rehab for his apparent case of Stockholm Syndrome after spending months on McCain campaign planes and buses.

And Bill O’Reilly should designate all of them as “pinheads” and apologize to Governor Palin for showing such personally damaging and politically counterproductive rumors and innuendos the light of day. 

Ironically, as the head honchos of McCain’s failed campaign attempt to deflect their own inadequacies in such a disgusting and defamatory manner, they have ensured that they will never be hired again.  What they have demonstrated without question is that they cannot be trusted. 
 

This "report" is not what Fox reported, what Carl Cameron reported. Not anything like they reported! Steve Schmidt was most certainly not in the anti-Palin camp, and in any event, Cameron did not specify names. That was an addition of the poster of this inaccurate "news". Kerri, you need to correct what you stated as fact, because it isn't.

>> Ridgeliner7

Thursday, November 6, 2008, 8:29 pm

Taking the advice of another poster, I sent this message via his site: "Senator McCain - as a gentleman and decorated war hero, you simply must stand up and condemn the inane, immature, sophomoric nastiness being spewed toward Governor Sarah Palin by those "inside" your campaign. How could you stand by and allow these things to be said?? By your silence, sir - you are condoning such slaciousness, and I ask you as a man of honour to defend her. You chose her as your running mate, and she poured her heart and soul into the task. But your campaign fed her to the liberal mainstream media wolves, and have offered her up as a sacrificial lamb to cover their own ineptitude and gross mismanagement of her talent and your worthiness as a candidate. I am ashamed. I contributed money to your campaign. I voted for you and I voted for Sarah Palin. To see her being filleted and left to broil in the glare of the media sickens me, Senator. Sickens me. And it makes you as hypocritcal as your opponent. Do something about this. And do it now. You owe it to her, and you owe it to those who voted for the two of you. If you do not, sir - then there can be no respecting you or your stature any longer. The post election behaviour of your campaign staff is craven and depraved, and it disgusts me and my husband. I prevail upon you to stand up and decry these vicious rumours and defend Sarah Palin against those who did you damage and who are sabotaging her future. YOU chose her. YOU owe her - and you owe your constituents. Do it and do it now, sir."

>> Cherokee

Thursday, November 6, 2008, 11:59 pm

I heard from Lori Roman on WCBM in Baltimore this morning. Her analysis of this whole campgain was right on the mark. We need to stand by our conservative principles. This leaning to the left has gotten us where we are. McCain lost the campaign for himself by staying the course with his advisers. Sarah Palin energized this movement - (just a little too late though). Catch up ball is always the worst. We need Sarah to get right back into this fight for the next election. She should accept the Senate seat or the RNC Chair. She must stay out there where everyone can see how terrific a woman she really is. Get real Republicans back into the party! Diane

>> DiDi

Friday, November 7, 2008, 10:01 am

Cherokee, that was a fantastic letter. There has been an outpouring of support for Palin (the silver lining in this mess), but McCain is mute. MUTE. This shames him more than anything else. I'm sorry to say, but his honor is in question. He is allowing this to go on, as are his highest-level staffers. If they are NOT involved, then they are certainly complicit by their silence.

>> Heidi Thiess

Friday, November 7, 2008, 3:42 pm