Mistake # 1

McCain. Mistake #1.

They said Mr. McCain and his aides had made two fundamental strategic decisions that so far have proven flawed. One was that voters would reward Mr. McCain for taking principled decisions on issues — especially immigration, where he is out of step with much of the grass roots of the Republican Party, and the war in Iraq, where his steadfast support for fighting on has left him on the defensive. Instead, polls suggest that Mr. McCain has alienated much of the Republican base.

Wow, who didn't see that coming?

As political professionals, we can flatly state, voters rarely reward principled decisions...