Mind you, this is my impression..

I think Obama got a bit of a free pass because the press was afraid to be labeled racist. "White Liberal Guilt" isn't exactly a figment of someone's imagination.

I think Palin's daughters got about as much discussion as Obama's birth certificate. I think Rev. Wright got a not-complete-pass because half the people who were looking to discredit Obama by association were trying to say he was Muslim, which conflicted with Obama-under-the-Christian-Wright.

I think Obama got mileage out of the fact that, when the candidate revealed their health records, Obama was far more open about his 3-page summary than the inches-thick summary that only SOME reporters were allowed to see with NO recording devices (not even a tape recorder to take notes) for only a few minutes.

McCain flip-flopped on many things since his previous candidacy - and was perceived here in NH as a "sellout". Obama's inexperience was actually a plus in this regard as he hadn't had as much opportunity to flip-flop on anything.

Obama was young, vibrant and, yes, black. McCain came across like a crotchedy old grandfather who was a card-carrying member of "Ye Olde Boys Network". Like it or not, that played on the news.

Selecting Palin was a HUGE boost for about 8 hours - and then was revealed for the stupidity that it was.

But, more than anything else, Americans wanted to repudiate George Bush *big time* and McCain just didn't look "different" enough in his policies. Voting for McCain looked like it would be a vote for "more of the same".

To this day I don't think Obama won the election NEARLY as much as McCain lost it.