John McCain lost the 2008 election for three basic reasons. He ran an incompetent campaign, the global banking market crashed on the Republican’s watch, and no one knew who the heck Barack Obama was. These three facts conspired to drive many center and center-left independents toward the Democrat nominee. Obama’s call for hope and change was exactly what many war weary folks wanted to hear, and he rolled over the McCain camp like an Abrams tank on cruise control. Put bluntly, it was ugly.
During his campaign, Obama used a lofty rhetoric that inspired even his most devout adversaries at times. People voted for him in droves because he was different, an unknown quantity, and everyone was pretty much burned out with who they knew.
This anonymity was arguably Barack Obama’s greatest asset. Folks did not know what his politics would end up being, but they liked him. Sure he seemed a bit left, but all candidates campaign for their their core constituents and then move to the center once elected. How bad could this guy be after all? With that, our nation made a calculated hard left turn. The destination was a mystery, but everyone hoped for a smoother ride.
The bad news for Barack is that the anonymity that he had enjoyed in 2008, is no longer his ally. Left leaning voters that put him in office are now looking back at the change that was promised, and wondering what happened. Unemployment is still 9.1% officially, but in reality it is much higher. In fact, many US cities are still well over 10%. African-American voters, who pulled the lever for Obama 96% of the time, have actually seen modest increases in unemployment numbers since his election and are also starting to ponder their decision. Pacifists have also been let down. Three years after his election, Guantanamo Bay is still open for business and the US is still involved in military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As wide as the chasms are getting between factions on the left, they are even wider between Obama’s camp and the right. Unlike the 2008 election where Obama was able to steal McCain’s platform and make it his own; in 2012 he has set himself apart as a hard core liberal in bed with environmentalists, big labor, and big government ideologues.
Three years after Obama’s election, we can look at Republican presidential hopefuls like (this blog’s favorite) Herman Cain, and see clear cut differences in vision and direction for our nation. We see a new focus on individual responsibility and liberty vice government nanny-ism. Republicans are offering new and innovative “free market” friendly solutions like Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 Plan for Prosperity, and the polls show folks are taking notice.
The 2012 presidential election is shaping up to be a potential landslide for conservative values. Contrary to the opinion of many currently camping out on Wall Street, this is not because “greedy corporations” are controlling our minds with chemicals in our Big Mac patties, but rather because Americans are no longer buying all the big government Utopian BS. Like 2008, our nation is at a fork in the road. Utopia at the left and the real world to the right. Americans are tired of the left’s empty promises and class warfare laden hyperbole, and just want to go to work and pay their mortgages…like in the old days. They are tired of not being able to do so, while at the same time being asked to pay the freight of others. Make no mistake about it dear friends (and others) the fork is approaching fast and, to the chagrin of the current administration, the nation’s blinker is flashing right.
Head Muscle 
John McCain lost because he was, and is a RINO compromiser. In other words, incompetent and without conviction. The poor campaign just made things worse.
Think about it though. he couldn’t have done much better than the obama on the things that count. So, the left gets holding the bag!
As I point out in the post, they were so close, McCain actually let Barack steal his issues. It was pitiful at best.
At least in 2012 Obama will be forced to run on his record – which is, of course, abysmal. He is no longer an unknown quantity and thus offering hope to the uninformed (had people bothered to check out his background thoroughly, not an easy task considering the massive media coverup that was in place) some of them might have been disillusioned. Hopefully, the Republicans will have learned from the McCain disaster, but I don’t expect anything different from the Party establishment. The hope for America, as always, lies with the conservatives of all political groups.