At what point did the Mc/P campaign "jump the shark?"

[begin_within]

Personally I was astounded when in the final debate Obama brought up the subject of the unruly crowds at the Mc/P rallies, even mentioning that someone said, "Kill him" - setting it up for McCain to say something like, "We don't condone violence of any kind," yet McCain instead said he was "categorically proud" of the people who attend their rallies. For me that was a key moment in the whole campaign. What do you think was their fatal error or "jump the shark" moment?

[Incitatus]

1. Palin

[Mad_Dem_X]

2. Palin.

His selection of her as his running mate pretty much told me that he doesn't give a shit.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. When McCain chose Palin as a running mate

I've heard from newly minted Democrats who used to be life-long Republicans that that was the moment for them.

[krkaufman]

37. I don't have the direct data that you do, but that was my observation, as well

McCain's choice of Palin was the political equivalent of Fonzie jumping the shark... looking for a flashy event rather than a substantial storyline.

[Top Cat]

4. Palin

[Curtland1015]

5. "Fundamentals of the economy are strong"

It was all downhill from there.

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. Selecting Palin proved McCain is a doofus

From that point on, he had jumped the shark. Before that, he was just a loser with possibilities, after that he was just a loser.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. August 29, the day he picked Sarah Palin.

Sarah SERIOUSLY jumped the shark that day, and Alaska hasn't been the same since.

[Raine]

8. When McINSANE picked Palin

his campaign jumped the shark.

[nam78_two]

9. When Palin got on board

More specifically, that first speech she gave at the convention. I don't know what the media people saw (the ones who said she did a good job then). I saw a truly dangerous dimwit from the start.

[liberal N proud]

10. Suspending his campaign

Palin was a huge fuckup HUGE. But suspending his campaign in thinking it would launch him into the lead was the moment when he jumped the shark

[DesertRat]

11. Palin started the downfall

Then her Katie Couric interview sealed their demise.

[chookie]

35. I agree. The Couric interview.

And actually Katie is a pretty look-the-other-way non-confrontational person, but when she found herself in front of a black hole, it stimulated her cerebral cortex enough to give a real interview. Too bad she doesn't treat George and Condi that way, or things would have been different years ago.

[jefferson_dem]

12. The "Celeb" ad showed me they were destined to go down as the shittiest campaign

in modern history.

[Cosmocat]

21. YEP !

They started this kitchen sink thing somewhere near the end of July/early August.

They found out that the media was MORE than willing to endlessly loop a McCain ad if it was completely retarded, and they actually were able to chip BOs very strong post primary lead to a near draw going into the conventions.

[Fleshdancer]

24. I agree

His entire campaign went downhill once he decided to compare Obama to Hilton and Spears.

[Seen the light]

13. August 29, 2005

Katrina started the sinking of the Bush presidency which got so bad that McCain never had a chance. I'm absolutely convinced of that.

[sad sally]

18. and where was McCain? Eating B/D cake with Bush.

[Beaverhausen]

14. I gotta agree with those who said Palin. He would be much more of a threat with someone else as VP

[vi5]

15. Let's not assume that it has...

Remember the same sort of thing was being discussed during the republican primary and it looked like he was doomed. Jumping the shark means it's over and I don't want to assume that.

If what you're asking is "what has been the lowest point of the McCain campaign" then there are too many options to choose from. And I've no doubt the lowest is yet to come.

[tpi10d]

16. When Mc/ became Mc/P

[quantass]

17. He jumped when Obama became the nominee

[sampsonblk]

19. Palin

She eliminated most of his claims against Obama. Plus she is stupid. She is a stupid caricature of stupid republican voters, some of whom are seeing themselves in the mirror at this very moment. They are not liking what they see.

[book_worm]

20. Palin, his first major decision as GOP nominee, was the final nail in the coffin.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

22. Palin (jumping the barracuda)

[AlCzervik]

23. whe he made nice with Falwell and that that.

[Tribetime]

25. Palin

[FrenchieCat]

26. The RNC convention with the 9/11 movie as entertainment gave me a hint.....

[SeattleGirl]

27. Palin.

[Eric J in MN]

28. Sarah Palin's convention speech implying that people who live in small towns are better...

...than other people.

[ErinBerin84]

29. Using Paris Hilton/Britney Spears in an ad

Also, attack of the apple sauce in aisle 12...guess that was before Paris, and when Obama was still abroad. Also, bonus for McCain and Lindsey Graham at Fudge Hause, while Obama was in Berlin.



I would say the Palin pick too, but I would specify the Peggy Noonan/Mike Murphy political narrative bullshit-gate.

[rocktivity]

30. The suicidially bad Palin pick

because it took away McCrazed's best argument against Obama (too young, inexperienced and artiificially famous) and strengthened Obama's best argument against him (too out of touch with reality and too in touch with the Rethug status quo).

:headbang:
rocknation

[Cheap_Trick]

31. Well, first there was the BIG BANG, then the earth cooled.

Shortly after that was when the shark was jumped.

Not just jumped, but mugged as well.

[chiefofclarinet]

32. John Sidney McCain III choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate

John Sidney McCain III got scared by Obama picking Joe Biden as his VP. Joe Biden has 14 years of Senate experience over him, and is 7 years younger. Biden is experience personified; he was 30 years and 2 months old when he started his tenure in the Senate.

So, McCain decided to run against his old platform of experience, since he was by far beat in that catergory, and try to steal the mantle of "change." It never stuck; even though he and Palin are "mavericks," that never got translated to change. He may have solidified the base, but the fiscal conservatives are fleeing like rats off the sinking ship that is McCain's campaign.

From that point, it only went downhill. Palin's nomination speech was appalling, and she kept using even after we Dems ripped apart the pit bull with lipstick analogy. The campaign has gone more negative than either of Dubya's elections. McCain miserably failed to change the course of Obama's momentum in the three debates. Palin screwed up three interviews, none of the interviewers particularly aggressive or demanding. Palin escaped a thrashing at the VP debate, but ended looking cold and heartless after Biden opened his heart by talking about his first wife's accident on national television and she completely ignored it. And, he is having major difficulties escaping the albatross that is the Bush administration, even after a decent line in the third debate.

I will admit Obama is running a top-notch campaign. But, McCain is not doing anything right. He waited too long to choose a VP, and picked probably the worst one possible. He has little to no control left with his campaign. His gimmicks, such as suspending his campaign, lying to Letterman, and Joe the "Plummer," were shown to be merely gimmicks. And, nothing is sticking to Obama. The worst skeletons in the closet that Obama had were taken out to show during the primary season, and are now old news. ACORN and Ayers are falling flat, as is calling Obama a terrorist and a socialist.

We may be looking at the worst campaign ever. McCain has thrown everything at us, including the kitchen sink and the guy that fixes it. And he is still behind in all the polls, and has to go retake Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia back from Obama and prevent North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia, Montana, and Georgia from slipping from his grasp to get the nod.

I am not saying it is in the bag; however, the light at end of the tunnel for McCain campaign is getting dimmer and dimmer.

[Supply Side Jesus]

33. When he suspended his campaign...AGAIN!

He ran for his photo op with the pResident, then Letterman busted him lying.
It was a 1,2, 3....
He looked like a idiot running around trying to inject himself into the meltdown/bailout situation and ended up looking like Pokey Little Puppy. Letterman busting him with Couric....that was just gravy.

[Boo Boo]

34. The first words out of my mouth after hearing about his VP choice...

"McCain just jumped the shark!"

[FLyellowdog]

36. Palin.

[Hansel]

38. Palin

[bluedawg12]

39. When he hired a KKKarl protege to run his hate filled

campaign and decided to go all negative all of the time.

[Uzybone]

40. Palin

you betchya.

This quote from Charles Blow in the NYT sums it up

"McCain delivered (the election) to Obama with his reckless pick of Sarah Palin. That stunt made everything that followed feel like a stunt, tarnishing McCain’s reputation and damaging his credibility so that when he went negative it backfired."