The election of Barack Obama as president and the increase of Democrats Congress was not surprising, but was this outcome truly inevitable, as many had proclaimed for the past couple of years?

The answer is, in fact, no. McCain lost because his campaign focused too much a calculating what would be good for the polls.

According to realclearpolitics.com, President George W. Bush fascinatingly holds the record for both the highest and the lowest approval ratings of all American presidents. In the weeks following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, upwards of 90 percent of polled Americans trusted their president. However, with an unsuccessful and unpopular war and the worst economic recession since the early 1980s, the Bush administration remains unpopular even with staunch Republicans.

Perhaps many Republicans believed that Sarah Palin could inject vigorous energy into a sinking party. Perhaps McCain’s choice of Palin as a running mate was the cause of the Republicans’ political hara-kiri.

The 2008 race emphasized, above all, the idea of gender, cultural and racial identity. Many voters were excited by the possibility that an African-American, a woman or an elderly person could become the first president. Having a female vice-president would show the public that the Republican Party is concerned about giving political opportunities to an underrepresented and discriminated-against group.

Furthermore, Palin was a colorful contrast with McCain. A relatively young, attractive and charismatic running mate complemented all of McCain’s perceived deficiencies.

In the first week after choosing Gov. Palin, McCain’s results in the polls soared, and a Republican presidential victory appeared more than just conceivable. However, the empress could not conceal her nudity for long. Palin quickly emerged as an inexperienced candidate and became the source of much ridicule, both fair and unfair.

It is likely that the Presidential race could have been much more competitive and the Republican Party could have provided a second consecutive president.

Although an obvious cause of the loss would appear to be Sen. McCain’s support for the Iraq War, this is not likely. Polls published in USA Today consistently revealed that more Americans believed that McCain could handle the war and foreign policy better than Obama. While the economy was portrayed as a partisan issue, Obama’s remedies sounded as vague as McCain’s, and both candidates agreed on possible solutions.

John McCain has long been considered one of the most popular senators, with a rare crossover appeal. He was also more qualified than any other potential candidates, Democratic or Republican, and has the status of a military hero and self-sacrificing patriot.

However, his desire to maintain good PR became a disaster. Republicans should remember this mistake in 2012.