McCain: People voted 'mostly for Sarah Palin' last year
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/03/26/art.sarahmac0326.gi.jpg caption="Speaking at the Heritage Foundation Thursday, Sen. McCain acknowledged the political star power of his former running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has no illusions about the 2008 White House race.
"God bless them," McCain said Thursday at the Heritage Foundation when reminded of the tens of millions of people who voted for him last year.
"Over 50 million people voted for me and Sarah Palin – mostly for Sarah Palin," McCain said to an eruption of laughter. But "there was a sizable majority of the other party returned to Congress. And, elections have consequences. Elections have consequences. And these consequences we are seeing now in full display."
McCain described himself as "very nervous" about the Obama administration's proposal for FDIC-like resolution authority over non-bank financial institutions like AIG in order to prevent another near calamity in the global financial system.
"I understand that we need some of these institutions to be taken over before they are total failures but I am very nervous about that . . . about the expansion of government oversight," McCain said. "But we have to do a better job of regulation and transparency. The status quo is not acceptable either."
McCain's speech Thursday at the conservative think tank focused on the country's economic crisis and dire long-term fiscal outlook. Before he spoke, the former presidential candidate was greeted by a standing ovation in an auditorium filled with people primarily in their 20's and 30's.
It is not surprising, or interesting, to me that McCain would say that about Palin, as she is very likely to run for President in 2012.
The interesting thing to me was the quote on financial institiution regulation. What I read through the political doublespeak was, "people want regulation, so we should legislate some and get credit for that. But I don't really want regulation, so we shouldn't oversee it once it is put in place. That way, it is as though the regulation doesn't happen, but we've made the people happy."
Hey, either be for regulation, and be willing to enforce it, or don't. Don't insult me with the doublespeak.
@ToddonCapeCod
so she is running her state into the ground, despite her socialism like tax on energy which is spread out among all alaskans (she is spreading that wealth) .... is that what makes a good conservative? wow.. you guys on the right sure like to rewrite definitions.. lmao
Not that he had a chance anyway, but he would've recieved more votes withOUT her... most people hate palin- how can you not? she's an idiot
Yes, it truly is terrifying to think this duo could have been President and and VP! What even more terrifying is to realize what we actually did get for President and VP.
Most voted for neither of you. The fact that you are saying this at all, Mr. McCain, shows how clueless you really are. Do you have any idea how many votes you lost because of Palin? In the end, it's for the best that you and Ms. Palin lost the election, as a McCain/Palin administration would have made the Bush administration look like a panacea.
I can't believe he said that, why did poeple vote for this guy? I knwo they were asked by Rush Limbaugh.
"Lauren March 26th, 2009 3:31 pm ET
Actually people voted mostly for Obama, he won the election."
Actually they were talking about the votes he received. I bet you had a bad public school education.
Enjoy the deficits, our increased presence in Afghanistan, the fact that we are still in Iraq and all of the tax cheats that Obama nominates. Hilarious.
If most of the people who voted the GOP ticket were voting for Palin on McCain, it's a very scary world in which we live...
Don't worry. 4 more years on that face and they won't be so enamored.
I don't know that Palin helped McCain's ticket. I was on the fence until McCain chose her as his running mate. That was enough to convince me to vote for Obama.
John, I might have voted for you if you hadn't chosen that empty headed skirt for your partner.
Much to our chagrin? No, we're just concerned that an airhead with zero knowledge of foreign policy, much less anything else would be second in command. She can hardly manage her own family, let alone this country. Read my lips: stupid people do not deserve to run this country. There, I said it.
Reality's a tough pill to swallow for some people.
ToddonCapeCod- who are you kidding, "much to the chagrin of those on the left". She is pretty much the worst possible candidate for the Repubs- this is not chagrin from the left, it's pity. We feel SORRY that Palin is the best solution you can come up with.
When someone is searching for a God and they find Satan...
Sounds like McCain is setting religious nut job Palin up for 2012.
Oh God.
Some amazing comments by the Obamabots on this article. I guess you are happy that the Government under your 'dear leader' will be making all of the decisions in your life for you. Rationing of healthcare, your use of energy in your home, etc. etc. You also will love handing over ever more increasing tax dollars that YOU earn to our seriously incompetent Government! But then again – maybe you don't work and feel it is OWED to you. Good luck and have a happy life with your Messiah. The rest of us Thinking folks that believe in liberty and personal freedom are screwed
Dear Senator,
Still obesessed with negetive ideas/ we need a better solution or Options about how to over come this economices crises. please show us if you have one.
Sara Palin would not be creating this Socialistic Society! You Obama people are simply insane!
He has ruined this country in two months! AIG Bonus' were NOT BONUS it was their income. And if you think we shouldn't pay people for work (whether you think it was a good or poor) then why don't we apply the same standards to Congress or better yet All UNION EMPLOYEES or Government Employess. How would you feel then? Idiots! This man is a joke!
Now we have Rogue Nations coming at us! When are you going to figure out that you MADE a MISTAKE
I thank the lord each day that we elected Obama. Finally, someone in charge who is intelligent, articulate and capable.
This shows just how out of touch Sen McCain really is. Even some of my most conservative friends think she's just plain wrong for leading the country, at any level.
She may have energized the base, but I think she pushed away a lot of moderate voters. I know many people who weren't all that sold on Obama ended up voting for him because they didn't want Palin. To regain any ground, I think the Republicans need to attract the moderates and independents again, and I just don't see Palin as the candidate to do that.
Was there some kind of election, then? I must have missed it...
Gosh, I sure hope that Ms. Palin is the GOP nominee in 2012. That would be fun and probably provide the biggest landslide victory in both popular and electoral college votes in the history of the country. Go Sarah. Keep telling it like it is. Be the GOP candidate, please.
Come on 2012 so we can vote again for her.
I'm an indy voter. I've voted dem recently, but I'm not opposed to voting GOP if they can tell me what they stand for beyond hating the dems. Oh, and by the way, there were plenty of qualified women GOP VP candidates that might have attracted my vote. Guess who wasn't one of them.