The Obama-McCain Presidential Election Is Finally Ending—Here Are the Best and Worst

After a two-year presidential campaign of many highs and lows, of endless television commercials, and of more exaggerations than facts by candidates, here are my best and worst awards:

• Worst Republican candidate: Former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, closely beating out former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Thompson got in late, ran a lazy and uninspiring effort, and dropped out early. The former New York mayor was the early favorite to win but dropped like a rock—so much for the leader in the polls two years out.

• Best Republican candidate: Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, of course. If you can forget that she was unqualified, she even upstaged Sen. John McCain after her surprise choice as his running mate. She may even think of resigning to make big bucks as a talk show commentator. Alaska won't be large enough for her newly discovered ego.

• Worst Democratic candidate: Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. First he embarrassed himself with a celebrated $400 haircut, and then he humiliated his wife, family, and supporters with an affair. He won't be seen again in any campaign, and good riddance for those who believed in him.

• Best Democratic candidate: Barack Obama, naturally. He defied the odds by taking on Sen. Hillary Clinton against the advice of the wise guys. He defeated her and then ran a nearly flawless campaign against McCain as Mr. Cool while his opponent was Mr. Angry.

• Worst op-ed and TV personality: William Kristol in the New York Times and on Fox News Channel. He was wrong, wrong, and wrong on nearly every aspect of the race. And he did it with that knowing smirk on his face. Close second: every other commentator on Fox, confirming it was the Republican Network.

• Best op-ed and TV personality: E. J. Dionne in the Washington Post: Dionne predicted the resurgence of liberalism while up against an army of nonbelievers. His defense of Obama was steady in the face of that criticism. A close second was Gail Collins in the New York Times , whose clever writing was refreshing throughout the campaign.

• Best disappearing act award: tie between President Bush and Vice President Cheney: Talk about pariahs.

Except for a few fundraisers, GOP candidates everywhere shunned them. Even Utah and Wyoming, the most Republican states in the nation, must have shuddered at the thought. So long on January 20.

• Biggest fraud: Joe the Plumber in Ohio. He took seriously his few minutes in the sun when McCain mentioned him in the last presidential debate. He stumped with McCain in Ohio and told audiences to "take back our government." Guess he didn't know or wasn't told the Republicans have held the White House for the last eight years and Congress for six of the last eight. He's even mentioned possibly a run for Congress in the future. Buckeye State voters, you've been warned.

• Most flawed Senate candidate: Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska. He was convicted of a felony in Washington just days before the election but refused to resign. He certainly lived up to his own characterization of himself as a "mean SOB."

• Thank God It's Over: The MSNBC combination of Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann gave viewers a headache with their blathering. This combination droned on and on during the campaign, sometimes even badgering each other. On the conservative side, Sean Hannity of Fox was a boring cheerleader for the Republicans and his fawning interview of Palin was a low point even for Fox.