January 1, John McCain Said ‘F—k It’ When Picking Sarah Palin, New Book Claims

When the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) decided to pick Sarah Palin as his running mate in the 2008 presidential election, he told top advisers: “F—k it. Let’s do it.”

The revelation comes from NY Times political reporter Jeremy W. Peters’ new book, “Insurgency: How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever Wanted.”

Axios confirmed the August 2008 conversation, which took place on McCain’s ranch in Sedona, Arizona.

"Mark Salter, a longtime aide to McCain, cautioned him that voters could see a Palin pick as discordant with the message of readiness and experience that the campaign had been focusing on as a contrast with Obama, a forty-seven-year-old first-term senator. 'There’s worse things, John, than losing an election. You could lose your reputation,' Salter told him."

Steve Schimdt, a prominent campaign strategist, “also thought Palin was a risk but said maybe it was one worth taking,” Peters writes:

[Schmidt] told McCain he should consider whether it would be worth it if he chose Palin and lost, but also knew in the end that he’d lost because he did something bold. "What you’ve got to decide," Schmidt told the senator, "is would you rather lose by seven going for it?"

McCain turned to his wife, Cindy. "John, it's a gamble," she said.

This made McCain's face light up. "Well, I wish you hadn’t said that," he said. McCain, an avid craps player, balled up his fist and blew on it, then shook it like he was about to roll a pair of dice. "F--- it," he said. "Let's do it."

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McCain when he picked Palin: “F— it!”