Politics | John McCain McCain to Leno: Don't Blame Palin By John Johnson Posted Nov 11, 2008 9:17 PM CST Copied In this August file photo, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, makes an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) John McCain poked fun at himself and his campaign on Jay Leno tonight but refused to place blame for his loss on Sarah Palin or the media, Politico reports. "The one thing I think Americans don't want is a sore loser," said McCain. "I'm a fighter. I knew I had a headwind. I can read the polls. They tried to keep them away from me. But I knew we had a real headwind." McCain said he was "very proud" to have had Palin as a running mate and scoffed at the so-called "top advisers" who were quoted criticizing her. He said they were probably "people that I've never even heard of, much less a top adviser." As for the prospects of him running in 2012: "I wouldn't think so, my friend. It's been a great experience and we're going to have another generation of leaders come along." Read These Next The sheriff says he's never seen a worse case of child sex abuse. Journal pulls a controversial paper on arsenic after 15 years. Google exposes man's butt, is ordered to pay him $12.5K. The Wall Street Journal is naming more names tied to Epstein. Report an error