WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- John McCain 's fight for the White House was a microcosm of his political career and broader life -- full of near-death experiences , stunning comebacks and close calls . Sen. John McCain gestures as he delivers his concession speech Tuesday night . The former Navy fighter pilot , who 'd been shot down over North Vietnam and held as a POW , had been able to battle back every time until Tuesday night . He regained respect in the Senate after being accused of improperly helping fraudster savings and loan chief Charles Keating in the 1980s ; he got back on speaking terms with the Republican Party base after his primary defeat against George W. Bush in 2000 ; and he revitalized his campaign after its near-death last summer from lack of cash and power struggles to capture the nomination . What would have been his greatest political comeback -- to seize the White House -- proved to be too difficult . A Republican win in what is being seen as a `` Democratic year '' was always a long shot . Whoever was the GOP nominee was going to have to fight against the legacy of the previous eight years of a Republican president who became highly unpopular because of the Iraq war , administration gaffes such as the handling of Hurricane Katrina , and what turned from a credit crunch into a global economic crisis . The Arizona senator even managed to make the race appear competitive , soaring in the polls on the back of a polished convention and popular VP pick , Gov . Sarah Palin . But he made mistakes , too . Combined with the electorate 's disenchantment with his party , it ensured defeat . Turning points . New Hampshire : McCain 's great high point came in January , amid the snows of New Hampshire , when primary voters boosted him from long shot to top-tier candidate , just as they had eight years earlier . He stunned a crowded GOP field -- including Mitt Romney , the well-funded former governor of neighboring Massachusetts , and Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee -- and proved himself a force to be reckoned with . Not Hillary : Democrats were n't the only ones who expected Hillary Clinton to put a quick end to the primary season -- the Republican machine had spent years honing plans to fight the New York senator in a general election . Not only were those plans ruined , but suddenly the challenger was a fresh face with little baggage who captured the public 's imagination . And as the epic Democratic primary season gave many headlines to Barack Obama , it also helped him develop networks of supporters in traditionally red states . And millions of new Obama supporters also became donors , financing a record-breaking fundraising effort . George W. Bush : McCain may never have been a great friend of the president , but he could hardly turn down an endorsement from him at the White House . It was a photo-op that launched a thousand attack ads . Even if the unpopular president was a virtual no-show on the campaign trail , it was easy for the Democrats to remind voters who McCain 's party colleague was . Straight talk : One of McCain 's strengths had been his relationship with news groups , gaining appreciation by answering reporters ' questions until there were none left . But when asked whether he agreed with campaign supporter Carly Fiorina that health insurance plans that covered Viagra should cover birth control as well , he had no answer . Cameras rolled on his Straight Talk Express campaign bus as he sat silently , looking awkward -- long moments of video that would be replayed again and again . Virtually overnight , news conferences disappeared from McCain 's agenda as advisers who believed that an open-door media policy did not help persuaded their man they were right . McCain was left to repeat the rehearsed lines of his stump speech , losing the opportunity to impress in candid moments and his likability numbers began to slip . VP pick : McCain made his `` Hail Mary '' pick -- privately acknowledged by some advisers as his only shot of winning -- with the governor of Alaska , Sarah Palin . For a few weeks , it looked like that game-winning touchdown could happen as the base-rousing running mate burst onto the national scene with such power that the GOP ticket took the lead in major opinion polls . But inconvenient investigations , unfortunate interview performances and questions about qualifications soon hit Palin 's approval ratings . McCain 's own reputation was tarnished as revelations about hasty vetting raised questions in voters ' minds about his judgment . And by then , his central argument against Obama -- that experience was critical -- was essentially off the table given Palin 's relatively thin resume . Meltdown response : Ask Republican insiders when they knew the fight was lost , and most will point to McCain 's decision to halt campaigning as the depth of the financial crisis became apparent . The rise of the economy from a key election issue to the only issue was never going to help the candidate who 'd said earlier it was not his strong suit . But his bid to get in front with a dramatic departure from the campaign trail backfired . He became a bit player at best , again raising the question of leadership ability and judgment and coming up wanting against his opponent . John McCain was never assured victory . But nor was defeat guaranteed . Some of his toughest breaks were outside of his control ; other wounds were self-inflicted . Maybe -- given personality , politics and circumstance -- he could not have made decisions other than the ones he chose . But those choices helped seal his loss . CNN 's Rebecca Sinderbrand , Richard Allen Greene and Laura Haring contributed to this report .
Arizona senator had tough fight in a `` Democratic year '' but he won. Missteps and circumstances sullied voters ' opinions of him .