Charlie Cook on what the Republican party might do to get itself back in the winning column. I think all the criticisms and suggestions are valid to some extent but I think an analysis of this kind always misses one key factor. Voters care greatly about parties and agendas but they also care a lot about people, personal charisma, whether someone seems reliable or unstable, etc. The wrong guy or gal with the right platform doesn't help his or her party. A lot of Americans looked at Obama and McCain and decided they trusted Obama more to be smart, honest and steady. Also, some people just thought that even if they liked where McCain would take the country, they weren't willing to gamble that he wouldn't die and stick us with a woman from Alaska who didn't seem to understand her job description.