Did Kristol's delusions help sink the McCain-Palin ticket?

One of the most prominent conservative pundits is being blamed for the leaks and in-fighting in the McCain campaign as he tried to make McCain an attack dog and convinced himself that Sarah Palin was the future of the GOP. Why does the New York Times give William Kristol space when he regularly derides the paper he works for and tries to build up his divisive role in the GOP?