analysis

What went wrong for McCain:

1. Wrong historical moment: Americans do want to get rid of the stain of racism, and this was a big and easy way to do something.

2. Obama's a great politician. The Reagan Revolution wouldn't have happened if Reagan weren't a great politician.

3. Meltdown.

4. McCain had no convincing answer, because, as he admitted, he doesn't know or care about economics. Perhaps a Third Way could have been staked out. Or, for a real gutsy move, if he'd fought the bailout, maybe it would have worked out. The bailout isn't doing much now, anyway.

5. Palin was rushed to the big leagues before she was ready. As Krauthammer notes, this took away from McCain's pitch.

6. And he shouldn't have run against Obama, but against Pelosi, Reid and Frank. Point all the things they could do to America, and how Obama couldn't or wouldn't stop them.

In a way, he's like Mr. Irrelevant, the last man drafted in the NFL: any Dem would be in the same spot.