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

[SailFree]

McCain should have been more gentlemanly, more courageous, and more of a straight talker in condemning the leakers out to trash Palin's reputation.

It would have been nice if Obama had been vetted as ferociously as Palin was by the media, by the way. One suspects that, sooner or later, they'll get around to it.

[dutchgirl55]

What papers have you been reading? Obama took a lot of hits from the press...re­member Rev Wright?

Maybe the problem isn't the press, but that Obama gave them less to talk about because he's a better person.

[maggieblue]

Exactly. We had 20 months to review his dirty laundry and all we could find was Ayers/Wright. One was a little splash of spaghetti sauce and the other a grape juice stain.

[LiberTLover]

When was Palin vetted? Asking her what newspapers she reads? Please. Obama was vetted for 20 months about every aspect of his life and had many of his words taken out of context and twisted to look negative before Palin even showed up. I thought the media was pretty easy on her, I don't recall seeing her telling the secessionists what a great job they were doing, and seeing the video if the leader proclaiming his hatred for America, it's government and it;s flag 24/7 at any point. And if that had been Obama being exorcised for witches by his priest it would have been running on the media non stop. And if Obama lied so blantantly everytime he opened his mouth like Palin did, and still does (three stories from her so far on where the clothes were, and counting) the media would have benn screaming all over it. Palin's biggest problem is herself. She believes her own rhetoric about herself and thinks no one else will notice that it is sheer fantasy.

[Abby1]

Palin was definitely not properly vetted. Otherwise, I think McCain would have thought long and hard before he selected her. I believe that McCain and others were astounded that she did not measure up in regards to intelligence and ethics.

[Kiana1]

It was good that McCain took accountability for selecting Palin.
His choice of people in general was scary to imagine running the country.
People like Schmidt, Davis, Black, Bounds and Gramm was the reason he lost, not Palin.
She was just a bad choice recommended by Davis and Schmidt. McCain was dumb to listen.
The straight talk express is stuck in a ditch somewhere in the south!!!

[LiberTLover]

Tucker Bounds. What a patheic human being. How do you NOT get fired for saying that the man running for the highest office in the land diesn't speak for his own campaign?

[AbrakadaBarak]

Olbermann's Countdown guest yesterday revealed McCain's true doings after their defeat. McCain joked with Leno 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,"
He should admit: "I've been sleeping like a baby... I sleep two hours, wake up and cry, then (breast feed), sleep two hours, wake up and cry, then (breast feed), sleep two hours, wake up and cry, then (breast feed)...". LOL! Wonder who the surrogate mom was?!?!

[Demi-Crat]

OH disgusting!!!

[chf2go]

It was a serious strategical error in choosing Palin for many reasons. The only positive she brought was energizing the extremist base. All contests are won in the middle. If you don't already have your base you are in deep trouble. They either strategized that they did not have the base and didn't want to lose in a landslide so they at least needed to get their base out to vote and had at the selection of Palin already decided they had lost. (landslide happened anyway) OR they totally disregarded the moderates and middle which is obvious by this choice of Palin. This shows they either have no idea what they are doing or they simply ran the worst campaign in recent memory. My guess is both of those. The only people who think Palin is qualified to lead the country are in those red areas in the South that also idolize Larry the Cable guy and Nascar.

[LiberTLover]

The laughable thing is that she campaigned for the job starting early in the year. McCain staffers told her she would have to bone up on the big issues and policies way back then. Apparently she didn't think that was necessary and I do believe that they were surprised at how utterly ignorant she was. She thought someone would always be writing the words for her, I guess. I am just so tired of hearing this woman and seeing her flailing around the media trying to make someone believe that she is important in any way. She should be enrolling in the nearest high school and trying to learn something. Her ignorance is staggering and embarassing for someone actually raising children.

[texmike]

I think they recognized the challenge, but were emboldened by the fact they got someone as clueless as George W Bush elected twice.

Neocons cling to their ideology like drug addicts who cling to their denial of a problem (while losing everything). They are STILL pushing the delusion that America is a "center right nation."

[PaceSetter]

In the national Election Day exit poll, fully 60% of voters said they did not consider Palin qualified to serve as president if necessary, while only 38% thought she would be ready to step in. Those figures were daunting enough, but new calculations from the exit poll provided by the NBC News political unit show that outside of the Republican base skepticism about Palin’s credentials reached even more imposing heights. While 74% of Republicans thought Palin was qualified, just 35% of independents and 9% of Democrats agreed.

The press? Oh come on, "your base" didn't deserted you, they just stopped covering up for your incompetence (well except for Liz Sidoti) If not Palin, then who, John? You?

[wantthetruth]

Ummm...inc­ompetence?
didn't deserted you?

[LesserFool2]

I look forward to all the analysis of this race, especially about the logic behind the Palin pick.

Which was brilliant for energizing the base. But absolutely disastrous when it came to attracting the middle - who came to fear her ignorance, divisiveness and shallowness.

McCain never had a chance to hold on to the moderates he once attracted. Palin scared them. And McCain scared them for showing such a lack of judgment in picking someone so ill-prepared to be back-up-POTUS.

[flyteeskee]

the media has a tendancy to 'make up news'. i can't stand that and that is what i feel everytime i hear or see sarah palin. she is no longer news or newsworthy. i want the job, if it exists, of the person who decides what is news and newsworthy. palin is not even a human interest story because we are not interested.

[terrymill]

I am wondering when he is finally going to stop sticking up for her and turn on her.

[k1k2lee]

Look, at least McCain just went on Leno, said his little piece and is now back to his day job. That Palin woman WON'T SHUT UP! She can't stop doing interviews! And the media keeps doing them - just like they cover any story ENDLESSLY if there is an attractive woman in it. It's like a train wreck - they just can't help themselves. Kudos to John for just saying this little piece and going back to work.

[realitybase]

Palin will destroy herself for most of the country. Her 29% base will support her to Armegeddon­....

[LesserFool2]

Palin is too stupid to realize that the media chews up people for ratings and then spits them out once viewers get bored. And she is burning up her 15 minutes very fast.

[tydicea]

It would be rather absurd if he did, after all he picked her.

[LiberTLover]

And said that he asked her for foreign policy advice!!! I'm still having laughing fits over that one.

[1differentdrummer]

Decent of him.

[Sarahmay99]

Good interview, glad he didn't win, but I never disliked him.

Now Palin, me no likey.

[billthinx]

Here's Jay Leno playing his usual role as happy face for Republican wannabees. Here' s John McCain responding to the Wall Street Journal Editorial page demand that he publicly support Sarah Palin while on the Tonight Show. Here's the old guy trying to be a good guy, but still not quite over it. Here's the Tonight Show as boringly boring as ever. And they think giving it to the un-funny, unrepresentative, unattractive, un-trackable Conan will help this gig? Advertisers run away! Viewers flee! I see the rise of Stewart, Colbert and other genuinely funny types as "The People of the Vapid Past" fade away as quickly as possible. Hurry and go, Leno!

[marasgram18]

I am glad someone else feels the same way that I do about Conan. The tonight show will be in its demise with him

[AZ4thatone]

I think that the simple fact that Sen. McCain brings up his POW experience almost every time he has a microphone in front of him speaks volumes. Not many of us share the knowledge of the horrors of being held captive for so long, thank goodness, but if it is so prominent in his mind after all these years I don't think he would have been able to run the country without bias because of it. It just seems to consume him.

[jupitor]

The reason this republican didn't vote for Mccain? Palin unvetted and uneducated!

[pixy242a]

While McCain's age/health emphasized the importance of the right VP pick, I hope that in future, EVERY VP pick will be vetted by the Press and Public. Accidents, illness, etc can befall even a young, healthy person, and the stand-in should as ready as possible to take over.