He lacked a focused message and we didn't always see the best of John McCain in this campaign but he ended well - his gracious concession speech being typical of him. As the Republicans move forward from this hugely disappointing night they must not jettison the principled patriotism of their 2008 nominee, particularly his opposition to torture, his fiscal conservatism and his understanding that the terrorists motivated by the ideology of Islamic supremacism are far from defeated.