Kudos for having the intellectual fortitude to publish the opinion article by Kathleen Parker! Her conclusion was right on target ("Religion is killing the GOP," Nov. 20).

As a moderate Republican, I would like to add my own belief as to why McCain lost.

John McCain ran a horrible presidential campaign and forgot what got him the nomination in the first place. There is an old clichà in politics: In a primary, you run to the left (Democrat) or the right (Republican). Once you win the primary and begin the general election campaign, you come back to the center. John McCain won the primary despite the old clichà -- despite not being the most conservative of the Republican hopefuls.

Instead of focusing the general election campaign to appeal to independents and moderates of both parties, he became too focused on, as Ms. Parker described, the "oogedy-boogedy branch" of his own party. He forgot he had already won the Republican nomination.

John McCain, the "maverick," "independent minded," "not afraid to cross the aisle" candidate, was after all, running against the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate. Inexplicably, he and his handlers continued to believe the far-right would just stay home and not vote for him. He had to "solidify his base" by choosing Gov. Palin as his running mate.

Did I mention he was running against the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate? Believing the far-right would stay home had as much credibility as believing Hillary primary supporters would not vote for Obama in the general election.

It wasn't so much the choice of Sarah Palin that hurt McCain as it was the way he and his campaign handlers used/abused her.

Using Palin as an alternating cheerleader/pitbull only lessened any credibility she may have had as a viable candidate and elevated the campaign to one of the most negative and vitriolic in political history.

It might have scored points with the "base," but was caustic to independents and moderates.

Wayne J. Clarke, Evans