McCain Leno Interview: Don't Blame Palin (VIDEO)

John McCain says he doesn't blame running mate Sarah Palin for his loss to Barack Obama.

In his first interview since losing the election last week, McCain told Jay Leno that he is proud of Palin and he dismisses the anonymous criticism of her that has spilled out in the wake of his defeat, according to the Associated Press.

"I'm so proud of her and I'm very grateful she agreed to run with me. She inspired people, she still does," McCain told Jay Leno during an "Tonight Show" interview taped for broadcast Tuesday night. "I couldn't be happier with Sarah Palin."

Asked by Leno about griping about Palin from unidentified McCain operatives in the days following the election, the Arizona senator said, "These things happen in campaigns.

"I think I have at least a thousand, quote, top advisers," he scoffed. "A top adviser said? I've never even heard of ... a top adviser or high-ranking Republican official."

McCain also joked that since Election Night, "I've been sleeping like a baby... I sleep two hours, wake up and cry. Sleep two hours, wake up and cry," reports People magazine.

Noting that Americans "don't like a sore loser," McCain defended his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate and of Joe the Plumber as his campaign everyman.

Asked why he thought he lost, he deadpanned: "I think my personality. Or maybe too many people saw me on the Jay Leno show"...

On the day after the election, McCain said he and wife Cindy celebrated, if not a political victory, at least their release from the smothering oversight of the Secret Service.

"We got in the car and we went down to get a cup of coffee," he said. "Not the newspaper though. We knew what it would say."

Story continues below

advertisement

McCain called Barack Obama "a good and decent person," adding, "I salute and admire the Senator, uh, President-elect Obama"...

But don't expect another McCain-Palin ticket.

"In 2012, you'll be 76..." said Leno.

"I'll be ready to go again," McCain joked to cheers. "No, I wouldn't think so, my friend. It's been a great experience."

McCain also joked that his defeat was "all the press' fault" and sternly noted that "Our party has a lot of work to do. We just got back from the woodshed."

Comments

[TomTheAlmostUgly]

The Leno appearance was a colossal disappointment to me. I kept waiting for McCain to answer even one question honestly: "No Jay, we didn't `vet' her thoroughly, I just went with my gut. And then Katie Couric asked her simple questions, and Sarah Palin train-wrecked on national television." I eventually turned off the TV with McCain still on; he'd paste on a smile and tell one I'm-not-to-blame whopper after another.

[MattThorn]

I like him a lot better as a non-candidate senator than as Candidate McCain. It's almost creepy, as if his body had been taken over by the Pod People for the past six months.

[Ocean girl]

I agree.... "too bad he wasn't this cool on the campaign trail" Well maybe not cause I am glad "we" won.

But McCain does seem to be pretty decent and real.

I know that makes me fire fodder, but I do think that a lot of the rhetoric was fed from other sources.

aloha

[swanie]

That's OK John, we don't blame Sarah - we blame YOU.

An idiotic decision that exposes your total lack of a process to make decisions, and it is also reflected in your campaign (such as it was).
.

[just4shiggles]

I can't stand to even watch McCain being interviewed now that I have seen the real side of him in the campaign. I don't believe a word that he says about anything, and when he talks about his time in the prison camp I just think he's making it up as he goes. He should have quit while he still had a decent reputation and never have run for President at all. Now that he's exposed himself to all of us he should just go away.

[philly282]

whatever calm down. he's being funny. if he was being serious, you'd say 'let it go mccain'...damned if you do, damned if you don't.

mccain is one of the good guys on the right...his campaign got hijacked by what Ariana so sexily calls "Rovian politics"

[CBS]

The rop of the ticket is the only one responsible for the way the campaign was conducted. If he let his campaign be hi..jacked, he would do the same with his presidency. Not the same guy he was in 2000

[Demi-Crat]

Yes..I agree and please drag Palin with you!!!!

[ping aye]

Yes, read the link. The Palin farce should not be forgotten or it will reoccur again and again. She represents that dangerous combination of ignorance and self-rightousness which is becoming all too common in the American political arena.

[MaximMaximus]

Governor Palin is a typical example for "ego outpacing one's natural talent, ability and intelligence". History books are full of personalities with such a major character flaw who did great harm to the society in which they lived, and some went even further!.

[peacegurl48]

Now we know what Palin meant by "I've got nothing to lose"! It is now, and always has been, all about her , her blind ambition and hateful/narrow agenda.

[jcollell]

You can't blame Palin for everything. McCain ran a poor campaign and the economic crisis did him no favors. She certainly didn't help matters but she did solidify the base. Unfortunately for McCain, she also deterred moderates and independents from voting for the ticket.

http://www.youspar.com/Politics/Did%20Sarah%20Palin%20Cost%20McCain%20The%20Election?

[frankie1985]

Too bad he wasn't this cool on the campaign trail.

[lmt27]

No, he shouldn't blame Palin; he should blame himself for putting her on the ticket. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20. I just wish the anonoymous sources leaking out the info on Palin would make themselves known so that the dirt on Palin can be validated. Right now it is just he said she said; and Palin is making herself look like the victim. Also, if she thinks the media was tough on her and her family as a VP candidate let the big dummy try to run for President in 2012; then, all the skeletons will fall out of the closet. What is shiney and bright now, soon dulls--in four years she will be so full of skum that she will need more then $23,000 in makeup.

[Last-LiberalRepublicans]

EXACTLY!!

[denholt]

PLEASE take a minute to read this entry from Andrew Sullivan's blog at the Atlantic Monthly's website. Thank you! http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/11/why-palin-still.html#more

[North49er]

Thanks for this link - it's worth reading, for everyone!

[Sigger]

Denholt - Keep posting this link on every article concerning Palin until everyone sees it. Sullivan's message that disingenuous people put into motion a campaign enabling her to get on the ticket is simply terrifying. It can't ever happen again!!

[orod4412]

no wonder he lost. dumb @zz. up is down, down is up in his bizzaro world

[barklesswagmore]

I'm no fan of SP on any level. But it's the missed opportunities that I find the most galling. What if she had blown back into Alaska with all her new campaign "glamour" and actually set about bein' a reformer -- if she had got off the campaign plane and right away looked into all those camera and said "I'm rollin' in a new spirit of bipartisan back-to-basics starting with lightin' a fire under the Alaska Board of Elections to get the vote counted in a timely way, fer heaven's sakes." "If I can't do it in Washington, you betcha we're gonna do it here."
That you could respect, That's a new leader for the GOP. It doesn't matter if she could actually DO anything -- it was a moment to walk the talk. But all she's done since she's been back is identify the Pipedream to Nowhere as the gubernatorial priority, and whip up moose hot dogs for every sorry media outlet that can find their way to her kitchen while she whines about giving god another chance to anoint her once she plows thru some metaphorical door.
Put your own house in order Sarah before you try again.

[lmt27]

My wonder who is running the state of Alaska? She has been on the campaign trail for 2+ months now she is in Florida. With all the assets Alaska has the state can practically run itself; no wonder they made her governor--she doesn't have to do anything but look pretty and charge the state a per diem and travel expenses for her husband and children.

[SueW0]

Wow. Some people just can't admit they made a mistake, can they? Not that he has much to gain at this point anyway. He might as well be nice to the poor airhead.