McCain's Independent Appeal

With Republicans feeling so disaffected this year and with the generic Republican brand in the sewer, McCain was the smartest choice to be their presidential nominee. Well...the McCain of a few years ago, I should say. McCain has always had a strong following among independents, and he should have been able to attract a significant amount of them in this campaign.

And then...he pivoted hard towards the base by choosing a hopelessly unqualified and extremely right-wing running mate.

How's that working out for him with independents?

Not great.

They were and are the core base of his appeal. As a "maverick" Republican, his fundamental gamble was that he could appeal to enough of them and win over enough Clinton Democrats to beat the odds this year. And yet, no group has responded more negatively to McCain these past seven weeks than independents. McCain's unfavorables among independents have soared from 24 percent to 44 percent in seven weeks. Palin has also turned them off, after a promising start. Her unfavorables among independents have jumped 14 points since she started campaigning.