Assuming Obama wins, and I do assume he will, has McCain damaged his own reputation enough in this dirty campaign to have damaged his chances of getting re-elected senator in the next round?

I used to have a soft spot in my heart for McCain until recently, that is to say, the last few years when he demonstrated his "un-maverickness" and stuck to his boss Bush's side on almost every issue. It seems that McCain's independence of thought was what his "base" (whatever that is) appreciated about him most. When Bush's popularity started its rapid downward spiral, and even die-hard Republicans started bailing out, it seemed like McCain was going to be the glue that held the GOP together.

Yet now that he's shown himself to be completely devoid of judgment (to wit, his choice in running mate) and SO independent that he prefers not to consult with advisers on important decisions, has he inadvertently turned away his fans in the process? Enough to lose what he had going into the campaign? Will the most conservative wing of the party, which didn't favor McCain to begin with, turn away from him?

Actually, it might be more fun to speculate about Sarah's future. I hear she's going to be a game show host.