Let's be clear about this, the loss was NOT McCain's fault, it wasn't Palin's fault.

A lot of the fault devolves squarely on the shoulders of Republican Party leadership.

In 1998 when Illinois Republicans reelected George Ryan (now doing time in a Federal prision). Ryan immediately violated the trust of Illinois Republicans with his Illinois First program of fee increases. Then he got indicted.

This set the stage for the state to go blue in 2000, the last year a Republican presidential candidate campaigned in Illinois (I was right there in Naperville less than 20 ft from the podium when Pres. Bush, sotto voce, declared Adam Clymer an a**h***, trust me, nobody in the crowd heard that).

In 2002 the Illinois Republican party further imploded.

In 2004 the Illinois Republican party biggies ran incumbent Peter Fitzgerald out of the state (he declined to run for a 2nd term, and as far as I know hasn't moved back to Illinois, or even been back to visit). Setting the stage for Barack Obam to run for an open seat. After candidate Jack Ryan imploded because the Chicago Tribune pried open his sealed divorce procedings, the Illinois Republican biggies selected Alan Keyes to replace him, over many local candidates (including Jim Oberweiss who would have crawled over broken glass to get the nod). Whatever luminous qualities Alan Keyes posess, winning election as a carpet-bagger is not one of them.

Had it not been for the complete collapse of the Illinois Republican Party, due to the fact that Illnois Republican Party leadership is primarily concerned with "where's mine" (the unofficial motto of the State of Illinois), having their prime rib just the way they like it at the DuPage Club, and playing golf at St. Andrews. Obama might not have won, or if he had become a senator he might have had more of the creepy-crawlies in his past come out earlier. Things like constituent service, fiscal responsibility, and party-building aren't even in the top-25 list of Illinois Republican Party priorities.

Then on the national scene. In 2004 President Bush and Rick Santorum campaigned for Arlen Specter preferentially to Pat Toomey in a hotly contested Republican primary. Specter went on to win, then gain appointment to Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee over the intense protests and opposition of "values conservative" voters. All this sticking a big, hairy finger in the eye of a substantial portion of the Republican Base, who have long memories and are not in thrall to the Republican Party like the Dem's special interests are to them. Then in 2006, Santorum loses to a "pro life" Democrat (being "pro-life" or "pro-2nd amendment" in the Democratic party is worth less than a warm bucket of spit, because you still end up with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in charge) as part of the 2006 Republican debacle.

Then there is the stirring overall campaign tactic so cherished by the Republican Leadership. Do nothing until Labor Day then start bleating "hey, vote for us, we're not as bad as the other guys."

Then there are the "conservatives" who hit the ratlines like Kathleen Parker, Christopher Buckley, &tc. They should keep on going to their Obamallies, who will no doubt receive them into everlasting habitations.